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National Cheese Ball Day
Five Food Finds about Cheese
- Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. There are over 2000 varieties.
- Cheddar cheese is dyed orange to give it an appealing color. White cheddar is closer to its natural color.
- Cheese is one of the oldest foods in history, dating back 4000 years to the ancient Egyptians.
- Cheese takes up about 1/10 the volume of the milk it was made from.
- The terms “Big Wheel” and “Big Cheese” originally referred to those who were wealthy enough to purchase a whole wheel of cheese.
Today’s Food History
on this day in…
1629 The first horses were imported to the American colonies by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1790 R.I.P. Benjamin Franklin. American diplomat, publisher, inventor, etc. Among his inventions were the Franklin stove and bifocal eyeglasses. He also published ‘Poor Richard’s Almanac.’
1810 Lewis M. Norton of Troy, Pennsylvania was issued the first U.S. patent for pineapple cheese.
1917 The first Del Monte brand national advertisement appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.
1937 Daffy Duck makes his debut appearance in ‘Porky,s Duck Hunt’
1996 R.I.P. Arnold Neustadter. He was the inventor of the Rolodex rotating card file. | <urn:uuid:ccdb4510-437c-4b5f-80be-54a999f3fe17> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://foodimentary.com/2012/04/17/april-17-national-cheeseball-day/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439740423.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20200815005453-20200815035453-00262.warc.gz | en | 0.956574 | 324 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Fort Ross Elementary is a small, rural, one-school district founded in 1885. Located in northwestern Sonoma County, Fort Ross School sits on the beautiful coastal ridge near Fort Ross State Historic Park and Timber Cove.
Mission Statement: The School District and the community that supports it shall educate, inspire and empower our students to become skilled individuals, responsible decision-makers, life-long learners, and creative members of this community and the world.
- 2013 Fall Pictures - password available from your teacher, Mr. Markatos or from the October 4th, 2013 note to parents. *note: photo prints are available to purchase at near wholesale pricing and/or full-resolution digital download with no copyright restrictions. Photos will only be available to purchase/download until November 15th, get yours now!
- Fort Ross Elementary School Accountability Report Card: 2012-13, published, 2013-14 | <urn:uuid:ed7c2979-6b6f-4810-96d4-4a2b5cc41d3e> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://fortrossschool.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609537754.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005217-00220-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933658 | 181 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Investigating 3 Hazards of 2010:Gulf,Iceland,Haiti
- File Size:
- 4.01 MB
- File Type:
- GIS Level:
- Geographic Scale:
- Target Audience:
- Higher Ed
- Gulf of Mexico, Iceland, Caribbean
Investigating Three Hazards of 2010: The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Eyjafjallajokull Volcano, Iceland, and the Haiti Earthquake
This 65-question lesson invites exploration of three 2010 hazards using GIS as the investigative tool. Each hazard uses progressively more robust GIS tools and invites deeper exploration. This lesson uses web GIS and desktop GIS.
(1) What is the difference between natural hazards and human-caused hazards? What are three hazards that caused much devastation and destruction in 2010, and why? Which of the three were natural hazards, and which were human-caused? What are the “gray areas” between natural and human-caused hazards?
(2) What are the geographic components of hazards? How can GIS help us understand the causes and impacts of hazards?
(3) What were the chief causes, impacts, location, movement, and spatial pattern of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland, and the earthquake in Haiti? | <urn:uuid:85c0dfd7-b78b-4483-8beb-931ebda0dfd3> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://edcommunity.esri.com/resources/arclessons/lessons/i/investigating_3_hazards_of_201 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320679.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626050425-20170626070425-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.905841 | 281 | 2.8125 | 3 |
The Brexit: What implications for Africa?
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron speaks with South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma.
On June 23, British citizens will vote on a referendum determining the future of the United Kingdom and its place in the European Union. British voters will decide on whether the U.K. should “remain a member of the European Union” or “leave the European Union.” The “leave” supporters argue that the EU has seen tremendous changes over the year, thus diminishing the sovereign role of the U.K. and its influence. Conversely, the “stay” advocates argue that being part of a large regional community provides the U.K. with greater influence and security on a global scale. Consequently, they say, leaving the EU would have costly economic consequences.
The potential departure of the U.K. from the EU—commonly referred to as the Brexit—will likely negatively affect the global economy. In late May, Kenya’s Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge, warned about the risks to the global economy, especially increased market volatility following the Brexit. Several pieces have focused on the potential effect of the Brexit on fellow European countries and advanced economies, but what are the potential consequences the Brexit might have on African economies?
The end of British outwardness
Perhaps the biggest impact of the Brexit on Africa would be the end of British “outwardness”—the country’s concern with and responsiveness to global development issues—which, from an African development perspective, reached its peak in 2005 with the U.K. presidency of the G-8. Indeed, at the G-8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland that year, leaders agreed to double aid to Africa and eliminate outstanding debts of the poorest countries. Indeed, one of the major successes of the G-8 U.K. presidency was the agreement to provide debt relief to the poorest African countries. The G-8 countries agreed to increase aid to developing countries by $50 billion a year by 2010 with at least half of this commitment going to Africa. Other commitments included increased support for African peacekeeping forces and additional investment in education and the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases.
Prior to the G-8 Summit, African leaders like the late president of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, and the then-South African minister of finance, Trevor Manuel, contributed to the 2005 Commission for Africa’s report, which was based on extensive consultation in Africa and elsewhere. Jump ahead 11 years, and the U.K. is the number-one funder of IDA17 (the concessional borrowing window at the World Bank) with about a 13.20 percent share.
The Brexit could lead to a retrenchment from outwardness with possible negative implications on the U.K.’s development initiatives. At a time when the process for IDA18 replenishment is underway, the Brexit may not be good news for aid recipients. Let’s have a closer look at the impact of the Brexit on bilateral development assistance.
Bilateral development assistance
An exit from the European Union would also have dire consequences for development assistance. In a recent article, Kevin Watkins, a Brookings nonresident senior fellow and executive director of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI)—an international development think tank based in London— highlights the consequences of the Brexit on development assistance. The U.K. is one of the biggest contributors to the European Development Fund, the EU’s development assistance arm, which provides funds to developing countries and regions. The U.K. currently contributes £409 million—$585 million— making up 14.8 percent of contributions to the fund (Figure 1). The fund is one of the world’s largest providers of multilateral concessional aid, with disbursements exceeding ones channeled through the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). While a Brexit would deprive the EDF of British resources for development assistance, Watkins argues that the direct disbursement of aid—set to replace the U.K.’s contribution to the fund—from the U.K. to recipient countries will have a more narrow geographical reach than aid funneled through the EDF.
Not everybody agrees. In an interview with Radio France International (RFI), James Duddridge, British member of Parliament and “leave” advocate, states that development assistance would be more effective under a situation where the U.K. is not part of the EU. He states that when U.K. development aid is channeled through the European Development Fund, it is less efficient than when it is directly allocated to African countries through British organizations such as DFID. In addition, he stresses that in a post-Brexit era, the U.K. would increase security assistance to African nations. He gives the example of the EU reducing funds available to AMISOM (the African Union Mission in Somalia) by 20 percent—a decision the U.K. opposed.
Figure 1. EDF contribution share per country
But the U.K.-African relationship is not just restricted to development assistance (which increasingly goes to fragile and low-income countries). How about the impact of the Brexit on bilateral trade?
Stronger bilateral relations but weaker bilateral trade?
Analysts have stated that the Brexit would weaken trade ties between the U.K. and African nations. The renegotiation of trade agreements can be a lengthy process, which could cause a decrease in trade volumes between the U.K. and Africa. Indeed, a Brexit would prompt the United Kingdom to renegotiate over 100 trade agreements.
Under the present umbrella of the European Union, the U.K. benefits from a myriad of trade agreements. In a recent interview, World Trade Organization Director-General Robert Azevedo stated that a Brexit would lead to unprecedented negotiations between the U.K. and the WTO’s 161 other members. Bilateral trade agreements signed between the EU, on one hand, and other countries and regional communities, on the other, would also have to be renegotiated. One example of such deals is the recent EU-SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) Economic Partnership Agreement. The agreement, signed on June 10, includes clauses on allowing free access to the EU market for select SADC countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Swaziland). The agreement also introduces more flexible “rules of origin,” with the aim of promoting the development of regional value chains. Within the European Union, the U.K. is one of Africa’s largest trade partners (Figure 2). The share of U.K. trade in bilateral trade between the EU and Africa has recently declined. The Brexit, followed with the annulment of trade agreements, could accentuate said decline. For instance, scholars from North-West University argue that the Brexit would cause a 0.1 percent decline in South Africa’s GDP due to the strong trade ties between the two nations.
Figure 2. Share of bilateral trade with sub-Saharan Africa, in relation to the total EU trade with sub-Saharan Africa
Another key issue that could be affected by the Brexit is one of agricultural subsidies. For years, the U.K. has criticized the current subsidies European countries have in place, which have hindered African farmers’ trade capacities. In his argument in favor of the “leave” option, James Duddridge voiced his concerns over the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which puts in place subsidy systems with harmful effects on African farmers’ competitiveness. With more than 60 percent of Africa’s economically active population working in agriculture, the subsidies take an important toll on the livelihoods of a majority of Africans. The U.K. has been a key opponent of the subsidies. In a situation where the U.K. was to leave the EU, there would not be a strong voice within the EU advocating for the livelihoods of African farmers.
In sum, there are a number of ways through which the Brexit could have an impact on African countries, starting with its impact on the global economy, reduced British outwardness when it comes to global development issues, as well as decreased bilateral development assistance and trade. They are all difficult to quantify but broadly point to a negative impact on African countries. The Brexit referendum is rather inopportune as African countries are facing serious external shocks such as the fall in commodity prices, an economic slowdown in China, and higher external borrowing costs. There is not much that they can do on the external front that leaves adequate and timely domestic policies the priority. | <urn:uuid:ef3a4bba-049b-4f5c-9f40-cfd4dec6d469> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://eyeonafricaonline.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/the-brexit-what-implications-for-africa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320323.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20170624184733-20170624204733-00491.warc.gz | en | 0.94181 | 1,787 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Fort Donelson National Battlefield, established by the Act of March 26, 1928, was set aside "with view of preserving and marking such field for historical and professional military study." The park commemorates the battle that gave the North its first major victory of the Civil War. It was here in February 1862 that Ulysses S. Grant was catapulted into national prominence when he demanded and received the "unconditional and immediate surrender" of 13,000 Conferderate soldiers under the command of General Simon B. Buckner. This Union victory opened the heartland of the South for federal invasion. Fort Donelson National Battlefield's association to the Underground Railroad is important. This site commemorates a military post that once was used by freedom seekers as a refuge from slave owners (1862-1865). Although the Union lines offered protection to freedom seekers, enslaved African Americans remained in legal bondage according Tennesse law. Thus, many enslaved African Americans sought complete liberation by attempting to escape to nearby free states. Evidence has been found that this did happen at Fort Donelson. For instance, Colonel A.C. Harding, commander at Fort Donelson between April 1862 and May 1863, encouraged Isaac Dover and his family to mover near his home in Monmouth, Illinois. Adelia Lyon, wife of Colonel W.P. Lyon, who commanded Fort Henry and Donelson from March 1863 to September 1863, secured safe passage for an enslaved woman named Rachel to Chicago, Illinois by pretending Rachel was her slave. In a letter dated November 1862, Colonel W.W. Lowe wrote that Reverend Jerome Spilman, chaplain of 5th Iowa Calvary, left $100 and promised to send a freedom seeker to Cincinnati. There are nummerous references in military correspondences from Union commanders who sought further instructions from military officials or requested relief for the freedmen at the camps. In 1863, Fort Donelson became a recruiting station for African American troops. According to reports, Captain William Brunt, 83rd Illinois Infantry armed thirty-five black men and placed them "in line in full view of the enemy" after Confederate forces led by Colonel Joseph Wheeler and Colonel Nathan B. Forest, attempted to attack the fort. Although Union commanders ordered the men to disarm, the thirty-five would be soldiers continued to defend the Fort Donelson against the Confederate army. | <urn:uuid:b0bf5a5d-0f6d-4072-8baf-e69b49a7c6a6> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.nps.gov/subjects/ugrr/discover_history/vignette_details.htm?ID=10972 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609539705.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005219-00292-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965625 | 473 | 3.75 | 4 |
The Sin at the Root of the Purim Story
Based on a shiur by Harav Aharon Lichtenstein
Adapted by Aviad Hacohen and Ronnie Ziegler
Translated by Kaeren Fish
The story recounted in the Megilla focuses largely on the danger which faced the nation of Israel and the manner in which, owing to God's mercy, they were saved. Someone reading the text of the Megilla may well ask as to the source and nature of this danger - how did it come about? One may, of course, provide a natural and rational explanation for the course of events: the appointment of Haman as the king's second-in-command, his anger at Mordekhai the Jew, and as a result of this combination - his wish to harm Mordekhai personally and, by extension, his decision to harm "Mordekhai's nation" as well.
Chazal's understanding of history in general, and of the events recounted in the Megilla in particular, differs from the above view of events and their apparent context and cause. Anyone wishing to understand the reason for the Heavenly decree cannot simply point to Haman's anger, to Mordekhai's behavior, or to Achashverosh's approval of Haman's plans. The story needs to be viewed against the perspective of Divine providence. The following account is found in the Gemara (Megilla 12a):
The students of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai once asked him, "For what reason were the Jews of that generation (i.e., the generation in which the Purim story took place) deserving of destruction?
He answered, "You tell me the answer." They replied, "Because they participated in the banquet of the evil (Achashverosh)."
He said to them, "If so, then only those in Shushan should have been killed - not Jews all over the world." They said, "Then you tell us."
He replied, "Because they prostrated themselves before an image." They said, "Was this then not an example of favoritism?" (i.e., if they really did prostrate themselves before an image, then why were they deserving of salvation?).
He said, "What they did was only for show (i.e., they acted not out of conviction but rather as a result of pressure, fear and terror), and so God, too, acted only for show."
From Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's answer we learn that his students' original answer, too, was correct. He did not deny that this was a legitimate reason for the decree of destruction; he simply pointed out that such destruction should have been decreed only upon those who took part - the Jews of Shushan - and not upon the Jews who lived in the other provinces of the empire. Therefore he preferred to explain that the sin of prostration before an image had been common to all the Jews of the time, and hence the decree of destruction.
Let us analyze further this deed for which they were deserving of destruction. It would seem that the sin involving the image is fairly clear. Basically, their sin consisted of transferring their relationship with the Holy One, Blessed be He, to some other being. It doesn't really matter whether they actually prostrated themselves before it or whether this relationship found expression in some other way; whether the relationship in question involved an image commonly worshipped (like Haman) or not. So long as the feeling of dependence which is meant to characterize the relationship of every Jew towards God - the total self-sacrifice which is required, the readiness to tread through fire and water - so long as all of this is directed towards something else (a person, an institution, a state, whatever) there is some measure of "prostration before an image" involved. There is some level of betrayal of self-sacrifice, loyalty, the feeling of dependence and the spiritual connection. "Only to God alone!" Prostrating oneself before an image represents a blurring of the definitions of the "kingship of Heaven" vs. "earthly kingship," and the relationship with a mortal king embodied in this situation comes at the expense of the relationship with the King of Kings.
The first reason which the Gemara gives for the decree of destruction, "because they partook of the banquet of the evil (Achashverosh)," is of a different type. Here the nature of the sin is less clear, and I believe that two separate components are involved. Chazal do not directly address the purely halakhic aspect of the issue - after all, there is no law in the Shulchan Arukh forbidding a person from participating in a royal banquet. Chazal even emphasize the fact that from a halakhic point of view those who participated took pains to observe the laws of kashrut: On the phrase, "And the drink was according to the law, no one was forced," the Midrash comments: "No one forced them to drink 'gentile wine.'" In other words, they took the trouble to drink only strictly kosher wine. Another proof of the punctilious observance of religious laws is found later on in the Gemara (Megilla 13b), according to which Haman's claim to Achashverosh that "their (the Jews') laws are different from all other nations" was meant to highlight the extent to which their separation and differentness harmed the kingdom:
"'It is not worth the king's while to bear them' - They ate and drank and despised your kingship, for even if a fly were to fall into the cup of one of them, he would throw they fly out and continue to drink, but if my lord the king would so much as touch the cup of one of them, he would throw it to the floor and would not drink another drop (since that would give it the status of gentile wine)."
Indeed, they were even careful not to drink gentile wine; this is clearly not where the problem lies. I believe that their principal fault is comprised of two elements: one is the actual partaking of the banquet; the other is partaking of a banquet which was not run-of-the-mill, but rather was "the banquet of an evil man."
As the story opens, we find ourselves asking what kind of world serves as its context. In which social and ethical framework do these events take place? If we read the account carefully, the story seems to be unfolding in some surrealistic world where the regular concerns of a normal Jew - problems of family and sustenance, personal and communal challenges - have no place.
In this society no one works, no one has any concern for making a living. What are they busy with all day? One long, continuous series of parties and banquets. Imagine: for an entire half-year, "one hundred and eighty days," they are at one continuous party. This is what characterizes the society; even while sensitive political negotiations are underway and important issues are being discussed, Achashverosh's first concern is for the drinks. The events take place in the metropolis of Shushan, the capital of his kingdom. One could mention several historical analogies, from both the east and the west, all involving a focus on festive celebrations connected to capital cities and royal palaces. Anyone reading an account of this type of lifestyle should stop in amazement and ask himself: from the point of view of the most elementary social justice, what is going on in this country? How many tens of thousands of people have to slave away, day and night, in order to allow this corrupt body of ministers, satraps and governors to maintain this wanton behavior for half a year? Where is the manpower and effort that must have been required in order to produce "the vessels, diverse from one another?" All these drunk and gluttonous ministers of the various provinces are drinking and reveling at the expense of the downtrodden poor, scattered throughout the kingdom. The peasants are bearing the burden of the royal revelling in Shushan, the capital. This is one view of the corruption: injustice which is being perpetrated on the entire population in order that a small, select group can feast and drink from golden vessels. But excessive drinking also has connotations of unruliness which finds expression in a loss of self-control and restraint. "When wine comes in, secrets come out." Such unruliness naturally brings with it - and there is no lack of proof for this, both in literature and in history books - corruption of a different sort. If the drinking itself is orgiastic in nature, then very quickly the situation degenerates and takes on other orgiastic characteristics.
Chazal teach (Megilla 12b):
"'On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine' - Was his heart then not happy until this (late!) stage? Rabba said: The seventh day was Shabbat, the day upon which Jews eat and drink and then speak words of Torah and words of praise [to the Almighty]. But the pagans eat and drink and then speak lewdness. And so it was at the banquet of [Achashverosh] the evil one. Some said, 'Medean women are [the most] beautiful,' while others claimed 'Persian women are [most] beautiful'. Achashverosh said to them, 'The vessel which I use (a vulgar way of referring to his wife)is neither Mede nor Persian but Chaldean. Would you like to see her?' They said, 'Only if she will [appear before us] naked.'"
Here we see the transition from boisterousness involving wine to sexual unruliness. This is the other aspect of "partaking of his banquet," an aspect which brings us closer to the crux of the problem but still remains far from it.
The claim against Israel for which they were deserving of destruction, "because they partook of the banquet of the evil one," is based on their immersion in this enjoyment. It is founded upon their absorption into a society of continuous pleasure, a society whose existential character and lifestyle - not to mention the practical ramifications which result from it - are completely removed from creative labor, manual work and activity. This settling into the intensive and all-embracing voluptuousness of Achashverosh's banquet is the reason for which Israel was deserving of destruction. What a society; what a world! The extent of the corruption cries out from between the lines describing the "floor of alabaster, marble, pearl and precious stones." Can a society live like this? Is this what political leadership should be? Is this the face of the ruling cadre of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces? Yet another party and more reveling, week after week? Is this the example which should be set?
This is more than societal injustice crying out for correction; more than a loss of internal discipline and ability of self-restraint; deeper than a settling into wine and licentiousness. The very dedication to a life characterized principally by pleasure seeking, and on such a scale, is the reason for the decree of destruction. And it must be emphasized that there is absolutely no connection between the enjoyment of the banquet of the evil Achashverosh and the question of a person's world view or the ascetic dimension in his life. This issue does not depend on a person's attitude towards asceticism and enjoyment: whether one regards a "nazir" as holy or as a sinner, whether fasting is a mitzva or a misguided act, whether one believes that he is destined to answer to God for every pleasure which he denied himself - every fruit which he could have enjoyed but did not - or whether he believes that the way of the nazir, with its ideal of separation, denying oneself the pleasures of the world, is in fact the preferred way of life.
This important debate is genuine and well-founded, and in the words of Chazal - as in the teachings of the great Jewish thinkers - we find a wide variety of views on this topic. But this entire debate, which extends from pleasure at one extreme to self-affliction at the other, is conducted within the assumption of a framework of life which is founded on productivity and creativity; life in which a person sees himself as responsible for giving and not just receiving, for creating and not just for squandering. Life which is based on a consciousness that "man was born to labor" allows for a discussion of how to view the nazirite state, how to relate to self-isolation, and how - if at all - to glorify the eating of ma'aser sheni and kodshim as an instrument and means to Divine service.
This is clearly not the case in Shushan, the "city that doesn't stop" for a hundred and eighty days, at the conclusion of which there is a bonus of an additional week. We are not speaking here of islands of pleasure within the context of creative existence, but rather of an exitence whose essence and foundation is judged by its degree of pleasure. This is an existence wherein work and toil are perceived as a burden, as a package of troubles which has descended upon man. If this task can possibly be laid upon someone else, if the economic burden can be transferred to the peasants of the provinces rather than to Shushan, the capital, then by all means that should be done. After all, who doesn't like to get rid of a burden?
Acclimatizing oneself to such a world, converting this lifestyle into the parody of a value-system, where the goal is no longer contribution to and perfection of the world, creativity and activity, but rather squandering and reveling, drinking and eating - all of this crushes the uniqueness of Israel in particular and the ethical uniqueness of humanity in general. We believe that man is unique in his creative ability. His human responsibility finds expression in construction and preservation. The guiding principle in our path of responsibility is to follow in the way of God. In several places Chazal speak of the mitzva of "You shall walk in His ways" (Devarim 28:9) as expressing man's obligation to imitate God, as it were. Among the examples brought in this connection is the following: "Just as He is merciful, so shall you be merciful; just as He is compassionate, so shall you be compassionate." On the other hand, the Sifri and the Gemara (Sota 14) make mention not only of traits of character but also of actions and deeds: "Just as He buries the dead, so shall you bury the dead; just as He visits the sick, so shall you visit the sick...."
The Midrash on Parashat Kedoshim carries this idea one step further. The pasuk, "When you come to the land and you shall plant all types of fruit-bearing trees..." (Vayikra 19:23) could be interpreted simply as a description: What will you do when you come to the land and find no fruit trees, for the first three years? The Midrash, however, sees in this pasuk a Divine command. "When you come to the Land of Israel, do not be satisfied simply with eating of its fruit and being satiated with its goodness. 'You shall plant all types of fruit trees!'" The Midrash sees this command as falling under the category of "And you shall walk in His ways": "Just as God planted trees, as it is written, 'And God planted a garden in Eden from the east', so shall you plant trees, as it is written, 'and you shall plant all types of fruit-bearing trees.'"
Such activity obviously has nothing in common with the perception of labor as a curse. This "work," this giving, this planting, is creativity which brings with it a blessing. This is how God created the world, and this is the task with which He entrusts us. Before any creature was created, the world was chaos and emptiness. Creation itself chased the chaos away, and in its place "the spirit of God hovered" - the spirit which builds, creates and heals all of existence. God has placed before us a world in which our destiny is "lashevet" (see Yishayahu 45:18) - Chazal explain that this refers not to sitting (yeshiva) but rather to constructive settling of the world (yishuv). We do not mean that a person should find himself a chair to sit on and relax, but rather that he should settle the world constructively and creatively.
Such is the nature of creation, and that is the task that God has laid upon us. Perhaps there is a dimension of labor and toil which can be considered a "burden," a punishment meted out to mankind - "By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread," "thorns and thistles shall [the ground] produce for you." But all this refers to the manner of labor and the degree of dwhich it entails. The actual necessity of work has no connection whatsoever to this curse, and is not perceived in Jewish philosophy as a burden. Before any mention of Adam's sin, the Torah already describes God as having placed man in the garden of Eden in order "to work it and to guard it" (Bereishit 2:15).
The opposite is true of the philosophy of hedonism - the distancing of oneself as far as possible from labor and toil. The view of life as a sort of "one-hundred-and-eighty-day idyll" represents a most serious moral deviation from our world view, our lifestyle and our philosophy. Let us emphasize once again that the problem was not halakhic in nature. A person may drink wine which is "kosher la-mehadrin" and eat meat which is "glatt kosher" and still, despite all this, wallow in "partaking of the banquet of the evil one." The evil master of the banquet also knows how to buy meat at a kosher butcher. That is not the point. A person who holds the view that every excess and every pleasure is permitted - so long as it doesn't run counter to the laws of kosher foods or the laws of mixing meat and milk - is making a fatal mistake. While taking pains over the tiniest details of the laws of kashrut, one may still completely miss the point of Divine service.
The above words do not address the purpose of labor. Obviously, if a person is capable of being creative, fruitful and constructive in the spiritual realm, that certainly represents a lofty ideal. The Rambam (at the end of his Laws of Kings) describes the messianic epoch as a situation in which "all valuables are as common as dust," a situation in which there are no more political or military considerations, and "The world will be occupied with nothing but knowledge of God, and therefore the Jews will be [considered] very wise, aware of hidden knowledge, and they will achieve knowledge of their Creator to the extent of human capacity, as it is written, 'For the earth will be full of knowledge of God, like the waters cover the sea.'"
Here we find a transition from one type of labor to another. But the very dedication to creativity and activity, to building, to effort and to labor represents the common denominator. This is the basic perception in the universal sphere, and all the more so in the Jewish sphere. In the Midrash on Parashat Lekh-Lekha, Chazal ask what made the land of Israel attractive to Avraham: Not its metaphysical holiness, not its mystical nature, but rather the experience of climbing up on a rock and viewing the huge contrast between the societal climate he had been used to in Ur Kasdim (later to become the kingdom of Achashverosh) and that of Eretz Yisrael. In Ur Kasdim he used to see people eating, drinking and acting in a frivolous fashion, while in Eretz Yisrael he observed them "ploughing at the [proper] time for ploughing, sowing at the time for sowing, weeding at the time of weeding, hoeing at the time of hoeing." Of course, when the time came, he also watched them "harvesting at the time of harvest and eating at the time for eating." This, Avraham realized, was a creative, constructive society which invested great efforts, a society with an ethic of giving and not just taking, doing and not just squandering. Upon seeing this, he thought of those who excelled in their frivolous decadence and said, "Let my portion not be with them," while concerning the land of weeding and hoeing, of sowing and ploughing, he said, "Let my portion be in this land." Indeed, there is a certain universal dimension here, a dimension of planting and toil, which applies both in the context of God's world in general and within the "four amot" of Halakha. This dimension exerted the force of its attraction on Avraham and characterized his world, and this is the dimension which reflects the philosophy and existence of the nation of Israel.
The abandonment of this framework, the spiritual and existential decline from a world of weeding and hoeing, sowing and ploughing, to a world of eating and reveling, a world of "one hundred and eighty days" of partying and then another seven days of drinking wine - this eating and drinking (despite the "kosher le-mdehadrin" label on all the bottles) was the reason for the decree of destruction.
Another factor was involved here as well: not just prolonged eating and gluttony, but gluttony in the context of the banquet of such an evil person. This identification with the environment reflects an assimilation into the surrounding society; a moral neutrality regarding Achashverosh's world. However, even without this additional aspect - even if they had partaken in a similar banquet hosted by someone who was not evil - they still would have been deserving of destruction.
Chazal's message here is a sobering one, and it makes very stringent demands on the Jewish nation. Chazal's words are pertinent and applicable to every generation, including our own, in our times and in our place. One of the oustanding characteristics of those who started the modern-day "return to Zion," and of the State of Israel in its early days, was the serious commitment to toil and the concomitant shying away from luxury and excess. There were those who couched this phenomenon in ideological terms, like A.D. Gordon and others. But even those who had never heard of Gordon still lived in this reality and formed part of a society whose moral tone - and in particular the value of labor, contributing and creating - was its basic staple. Both ideologically and practically, these were the prized possessions of the various waves of aliya, and it is thanks to them that a state with a moral character, with ideals, emerged. Even if the ideological system as a whole is not one with which we agree, these components - dedication, toil and effort, sweat and labor (even if at the time they were drawn from foreign sources) - reflected in some measure the insight of Avraham Avinu, who saw the difference between an empty and wanton society, and one which invested effort, built and created.
To our great sorrow, a significant and serious decline has taken place in this area in recent years. The decline from a philosophy and lifestyle of creativity to a world of pleasure-seeking, of "partaking of the banquet," is a regrettable process, for which we can only hope for God's forgiveness. This is a process which is overtaking us and which is beginning to characterize our society. And lest my words be misunderstood: I have no nostalgic wish for the Jewish nation to live in the fashion that the pioneers who drained the swamps did. I am not suggesting, based on some retrospective romantic notion, that that same level of material modesty which characterized the early years of the state should be maintained forever. I accept completely that as the cake grows, as economic growth increases, as more creative and productive work become available, the standard of living should rise proportionately, such that our lives are made easier and more pleasant in real, human terms, to the extent that this may be effectuated in a just way.
But this is beside the point. The question isn't whether we should be living today in huts and corrugated iron shacks just because that's the way they lived sixty years ago. The question concerns our outlook and our aspirations. Do we see labor as a burden, such that our ideal is to minimize it and thereby to reach a maximal level of pleasure (reminiscent of the ideal which characterizes to such a great extent the culture which exists overseas in the western world, to which we are exposed and which influences us)? According to this view, work is boring and one should try to escape it. If this escape were in the direction of a Beit Midrash or a synagogue, it wouldn't be so bad. But the escape is more often in the direction of clubs and pubs. People try to "forget" the world, and thereby to escape from constructive, creative work to a world of pleasure, desire and revelling. And we know only too well that this pleasure becomes an aspiration; the ideal is to keep work to a minimum and to raise the pleasure level to the maximum. This represents problem with one's value system. But in addition there is also a moral problem - from the point of view of social justice, which could not tolerate such a philosophy even if Israel ever reached a level of "luxury," of a great abundance of everything, such that the state would no longer rely on the generosity of the Jews of other countries.
I heard yesterday that there is talk of investing seventy million dollars in the construction of a hotel in Tiberias which will charge its visitors five hundred dollars per night. The entrepreneur announced that most of the clientele will come from overseas, but he believes that a number of Israelis will also be drawn to this "attraction." Do we need this? How will the residents of Tiberias allow this abomination to stare them in the face? Apart from the aspect of social justice, the very wallowing in such an ideal contradicts the foundations of our beliefs and our essence.
For those involved in Torah study in particular, the value of creativity and labor take on additional significance. Chazal said, "'If you will walk in my statutes' - i.e., if you labor in Torah." This holds a double benefit: the value of labor in general, and an additional value in the fact that his labor is in the sphere of Torah. We are commanded not just to engage in "yishuv ha-olam" (settling the world) in the physical sense, but in the spiritual sense as well.
As Bnei Torah, we have a special obligation to involve ourselves in the world of creativity and activity. We have to ensure, to the greatest degree possible, that this creativity takes place within the world of Torah - spiritual creativity; creativity which contains some contribution towards the realization of the vision of the messianic era. Rambam's vision of redemption is far from being realized - perhaps because its preconditions have not yet been fulfilled: valuables are not yet available like dust, and we still feel external pressures from various sources. But the hope of realizing that vision to the extent that we are able is certainly part of our task and our responsibility in the present. This vision is what should be standing at the center of our consciousness, as part of our contribution to bringing closer the day upon which that wonderful prophecy will be realized: "And the earth shall be filled with knowledge of God, like the waters cover the sea."
(This sicha was originally delivered on Purim 5750.)
See attached sourcesheet for this sicha, prepared by Rabbi Yaakov Bieler. | <urn:uuid:17e194a2-2913-405d-9d2b-cd4721ecfaac> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.etzion.org.il/en/sin-root-purim-story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145729.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20200222211056-20200223001056-00193.warc.gz | en | 0.970508 | 5,845 | 2.71875 | 3 |
There is a common knowledge that several brain areas are involved in memory processes and each area is involved in a different aspect of memory. But where do our memories get stored and how are they ...
I'm very interested in dreaming and have pretty good dream recall. This makes me able to recall and distinguish hundreds of experience within my memory and label them as "dreams". I'm trying to ...
Steady-state topography is a derivation of EEG/ERPs using an evoked potential to an ongoing oscillating stimuli called the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP). Variations in the phase ...
Can the neural firing patterns of animals be associated with specific kinds of thoughts? (ie Thoughts related to food, mating, or neighborly aggression?) I am curious about the speculations in ...
In one of Karl Lashley's 1950 papers, it is pointed out that information is not stored locally in certain area of the brain. Instead, it's stored distributively over the structure of the brain. I'm ... | <urn:uuid:6e23c757-5499-4487-8d81-40c207524ff6> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/memory+neuroimaging | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510273012.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011753-00092-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946579 | 209 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Southern Banded Groundling. Gebande Grondwagter.
Brachythemis leucosticta (Burmeister, 1839)
Also known as the Banded Groundling
Links to our images and articles:
|Click on all images to enlarge and open gallery|
Key identification features:
- Face brownish. Labrum, anteclypeus and postclypeus mostly dark brown with some paler areas.
- Front of frons and top of head shiny black and dimpled, side of frons light grey with central black spot.
- Eyes mostly brownish black with some grey below. Upper eye has distinctive brown stripes
- Thorax all charcoal.
- Wings each with wide black band between nodus and pterostigma, runs from front margin to hind margin, appears brownish when viewed from certain angles. Pterostigmas pale yellow, brown towards outer edge, becoming deeper brown with age.
- Abdomen charcoal.
- Young males similar to females. Develops band on wings before thorax and abdomen darkens to charcoal grey
- Eyes are brownish grey with dark and light brown stripes on top and grey below
- Thorax blotched (mottled) with brown (light and dark) marks . Blotching tends to be well defined when young Yellow becoming dark mustard colour with age
- Yellowish pterostigmas (diagnostic), dark brown in outer quarter.
- Abdomen is yellow with dark stripes along top and sides.(Diagnostic)
- Young male are similar to females but will develop the black wing marks with age The abdomen change to dark after the black wing marks becomes visible.
- The Banded Groundling was recently split into two species. The Southern Banded Groundling and the Northern Banded Groundling.
- Additional reading Material
Kindred spirits: “Brachythemis leucosticta”, Africa’s most familiar dragonfly, consists of two species (Odonata: Libellulidae).
Paper by Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra1 & Nataly Matushkina
Compared with other species:
- Mature males are unmistakable due to the wing markings.
- The yellow pterostigmas is diagnostic for the Banded Groundling.
- Females and young males may be mistaken for some Dropwing species as well as the Banded Duskdarter, Parazyxomma flavicans
- Female similar to female Red Groundling (B. lacustris) except on (B. lacustris) the lateral abdomen stripe is light brown and thorax less defined mottled
Distribution and habitat:
- Found in the warm northern and eastern areas of South Africa.
- Frequents pools, small dams and waterholes in open or savanna areas. Such pools may be without water weed or fringing vegetation.
- Hawks from the ground (preferred) or from vegetation in, near or away from the water.
- Inconspicuous on the ground but easily observed when disturbed.
- Will follow an observer or animals, hawking on prey disturbed by the animals or observers.
- Often found in large numbers. | <urn:uuid:5b0bb0fb-bfe5-40bb-96c5-e17ead68929e> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://dragonflies.co.za/index.php/dragonflies/groundlings/st-lucia-basker-urothemis-luciana-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250620381.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20200124130719-20200124155719-00160.warc.gz | en | 0.852671 | 675 | 3.25 | 3 |
Iron is a critical cofactor involved in many important physiological processes throughout the human body. Therefore, mismanagement of iron can lead to numerous unfavorable effects, such as the generation of toxic reactive oxygen species during iron overload. Iron mismanagement is also a key component of multiple neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. One way in which iron overload occurs is through a mutation within the HFE, high iron, gene. However, the mechanism by which HFE effects these diseases has yet to be elucidated. In this review, we consider how the HFE genotype may influence the role of macrophages and microglia (the resident macrophage of the brain) in neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Macrophages appear to redistribute their iron to parenchymal cells when an HFE mutation is present, resulting in increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer through macrophage mishandling of iron.
|Original language||English (US)|
|Title of host publication||Biometals in Neurodegenerative Diseases|
|Subtitle of host publication||Mechanisms and Therapeutics|
|Number of pages||16|
|State||Published - Apr 28 2017|
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes | <urn:uuid:f41d5df4-62c3-415c-bd4e-a825238119f3> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/does-hfe-genotype-impact-macrophage-phenotype-in-disease-process- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100135.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20231129173017-20231129203017-00312.warc.gz | en | 0.863715 | 258 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Hydrogen permeation through transition metal compound thin films
The low molecular weight and high reactivity of hydrogen make it a suitable candidate for various applications as fuel, etchant, and reducing agent. Typically hydrogen molecules (H2) dissociate on the material surface, producing hydrogen atoms/radicals (H*). H* penetrate the material and cause embrittlement, blistering, interface defects, chemical erosion, and/or reduction. To protect materials in hydrogen environments, coatings of materials with low hydrogen diffusivity – hydrogen permeation barriers – are used. Metals, oxides, nitrides, carbides, and graphene/graphite are reported as hydrogen permeation barriers. Permeation of hydrogen through these materials at elevated temperatures in H2 environments is well reported in the literature. However, their efficiency to inhibit hydrogen diffusion in H* environments is yet unknown. In such environments, metal compounds are susceptible to reduction, which is anticipated to enhance hydrogen permeability through them.
The assignment entails evaluating hydrogen permeability through metal compound(s) in H* environment and investigating way(s) to reduce it. For instance, TiN film (100 nm thick) is reported to be stable in atomic deuterium environment at 127 0C . However, Kura et al. demonstrated high hydrogen permeability through nanocrystalline TiN membranes (600 nm thickness; 23 - 14 nm grain size) . Hopping transport of hydride ions via a bond exchange mechanism between Ti-H terminal groups covering internal grain surfaces is stated as a hydrogen diffusion mechanism in nanocrystalline TiN films. In order to minimize hydrogen diffusion through nanocrystalline TiN one way is thought to be the scaling (coating) of grain boundaries with transition metal oxide [3, 4].
Fig. 1: Schematic of methodology for evaluating hydrogen permeability through materials.
The proposed methodology for the assignment is depicted in Fig 1. The candidate materials will be deposited via (reactive) DC-magnetron (co-)sputtering. Microstructure, stoichiometry, and optical properties of the as-deposited samples will be analyzed via XRD, XRR, XPS, and ellipsometry. following that, samples will be exposed to H* with ellipsometry performed during the exposures. Metrology will be performed on the samples again after H* exposure. The hydrogen permeability through the candidate materials will be evaluated by comparing the samples before and after H* exposures and using in-situ ellipsometry data.
J. Prasad, G.M. Nuesca, J.A. Kelber, Atomic hydrogen cleaning of a TiN surface, Applied surface science 74(1) (1994) 115-120.
C. Kura, Y. Kunisada, E. Tsuji, C. Zhu, H. Habazaki, S. Nagata, M.P. Müller, R.A. De Souza, Y. Aoki, Hydrogen separation by nanocrystalline titanium nitride membranes with high hydride ion conductivity, Nature Energy 2(10) (2017) 786-794.
Z. Qi, F. Zhu, Z. Wu, B. Liu, Z. Wang, D. Peng, C. Wu, Influence of yttrium addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrN coatings, Surface and Coatings Technology 231 (2013) 102-106.
H. Ju, P. Jia, Microstructure, Oxidation Resistance and Mechanical Properties of Nb–Y–N Films by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering, Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces 56(2) (2020) 328-332. | <urn:uuid:abadea81-b91b-4f48-b715-a792213e9de8> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.utwente.nl/en/tnw/xuv/thesis-assignments/Hydrogen-permeation-through-transition-metal-compound-thin-films/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510100.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20230925215547-20230926005547-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.870122 | 785 | 2.796875 | 3 |
FAQ | Elastomers
What is the difference between EP, EPR, and EPDM?
EPR is an abbreviation for Ethylene-propylene copolymer, while EPDM is an abbreviation for Ethylene-Propylene Terpolymer. From a functional standpoint, there are very few performance differences between EPR and EPDM. Both swell dramatically in petroleum products, and both are excellent in water, steam, and polar solvents like MEK and acetone. However, there are some notable performance differences in extremely demanding applications: EPRs or very tightly cured EPDMs are suited for the nuclear industry (E0740-75 is recommend), and for applications involving concentrated acetic acid, some EPDM compounds (like E0692-75) show superior performance to most EPRs. In other applications, the performance difference is very difficult to identify.
More FAQ's about ElastomersWhy it is not recommended to apply pressure-sensitive adhesives onto solid EPDM rubber, low durometer (10 to 40 Shore A) Neoprene and Buna-N?
Why is post-cured silicone important for rubber for high temperature gasket applications?
Which gaskets can I use for FDA applications? | <urn:uuid:eccec83c-b0be-438c-8653-ed7656d8eaa2> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://phelpsgaskets.com/faq/question/what-is-the-difference-between-ep-epr-and-epdm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251778168.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20200128091916-20200128121916-00295.warc.gz | en | 0.924233 | 262 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Jeffreys Grove Language Immersion Magnet Elementary School offers a full Spanish Language Immersion Program. Applications are accepted for rising Kindergarten students.
We are a "program-within-a-school" meaning that there are traditional classes in our building as well as our Immersion classes. Half of our Kindergarten is traditional and half is Immersion.
Our Spanish Immersion teachers - currently ten of our staff - come to us via the Participate Program. In our Spanish Immersion program, participating students develop fluency in reading, writing, speaking and listening in Spanish as well as in English. Students also learn to think in a second language, which is a high-level skill.
In the Immersion program, students take their daily math, science, literacy and social studies classes in Spanish. Beginning in the second grade and continuing throughout the fifth grade, students have an English literacy block of instruction integrated into their daily instructional time.
Through participating in the Full Spanish Language Immersion Program, students will:
develop proficiency in English and Spanish;
increase academic performance;
learn about culture and language; and
prepare to meet the challenges of a globally-dependent society.
This language immersion program offers students an opportunity to develop English acquisition as well as Spanish language development. The NC Standard Course of Study is utilized throughout all of the language immersion programs. Students, however, take their literacy, math, social studies, and science classes in a second language. While students are together for their immersion experience, they have the opportunity to participate in globally focused specials, taught in English, during other parts of the day. | <urn:uuid:80eb88dd-bbbf-47f7-8c22-a2afc6145b0f> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.wcpss.net/domain/1053 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370494331.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20200329105248-20200329135248-00533.warc.gz | en | 0.956914 | 329 | 2.578125 | 3 |
The form and style of classical Sanskrit literature is, as a rule, different from that of the Vedas. Vedic prose was developed in the Yajur-Veda, Brahmanas, and Upanishads to a tolerably high pitch; in classical Sanskrit, aside from the strained scientific language of philosophical and grammatical treatises, prose writing is to be found only in fables, fairy tales, romances, and partly in the drama. Nor has this prose improved in stylistic quality, as compared with its earlier counterpart. On the contrary, it has become progressively more awkward, full of long, difficult compounds and rhetorical constructions. Sanskrit poetry also differs from Vedic poetry. The bulk of the poetry, especially the epic, is composed in the sloka meter, a development of the Vedic anushtubh stanza of four octosyllabic lines of essentially iambic cadence. Numerous other meters, however, usually built up on Vedic prototypes, have become more elaborate than their old originals, and in the main, more artistic and beautiful.
Sanskrit literature may be divided into epic, lyric, didactic, dramatic,
and narrative verses and didactic, dramatic, and narrative prose. Epic
poetry falls into two classes, the freer narrative epic, termed itihasa
("leg-end") or purana ("ancient tale"), and the artistic or artificial
epic, called kavya ("poetic product"). The great epic called the Mahabharata
(between 300 BC and AD 300) is by far the most important representative
of the purana. Of somewhat similar free style are the 18 Puranas of a much
later date. The beginnings of the artistic style are seen in the Ramayana
(begun 3rd century BC). The finished epic kavya form, however, was not
evolved until the time of Kalidasa, about the 5th century AD. This poet
and dramatist is the author of the two best-known Sanskrit artistic epics,
the Kumarasambhava and the Raghuvamsa.
Ramayana (Sanskrit, "Story of Rama"), shorter of the two great Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Mahabharata. Rich in its descriptions and poetic language, it consists of seven books and 24,000 couplets and has been translated into many languages. It was probably begun in the 3rd century BC, with the beginning and possibly the ending added later. The Ramayana tells of the birth and education of Rama, a prince and the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu, and recounts his winning of the hand of Sita in marriage. Displaced as rightful heir to his father's throne, Rama goes into exile, accompanied by Sita and by his brother Lakshmana. Sita is carried off by the demon king Ravana. With the aid of the monkey general Hanuman and an army of monkeys and bears, Rama, after a long search, slays Ravana and rescues Sita. Rama regains his throne and rules wisely. In the probable addition, Sita is accused in rumors of adultery during her captivity. Although innocent, she bears Rama's twin sons in exile, sheltered by the hermit Valmiki, said to be the author of the poem. After many years Rama and Sita are reunited.
Although basically a secular work, the Ramayana incorporates much of the sacred Vedic material ,Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman are widely revered as ideal embodiments of princely heroism, wifely and brotherly devotion, and loyal service, respectively. Reciting the Ramayana is considered a religious act, and scenes from the epic are dramatized throughout India and Southeast Asia. Known widely through translations and recensions (the best-known version being that of the 16th-century Hindu poet Tulsi Das), the Ramayana exerted enormous influence on later Indian literature.
Mahabharata (Sanskrit, Great Story), longer of the two great epic poems of ancient India; the other is the Ramayana. Although both are basically secular works, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are ritually recited and are thought to confer religious merit on their hearers.
The central theme of the Mahabharata is the contest between two noble families, the Pandavas and their blood relatives the Kauravas, for possession of a kingdom in northern India. The most important segment of the poem is the Bhagavad-Gita, a dialogue between Krishna, the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu, and the Pandava hero Arjuna on the meaning of life. It has influenced devout Hindu believers for centuries. The Mahabharata was composed beginning about 300 BC and received numerous additions until about AD 300. It is divided into 18 books containing altogether about 200,000 lines of verse interspersed with short prose passages. The Harivansha, one of several late appendixes to the poem, discusses at length the life and genealogy of Krishna.
Bhagavad-Gita ("Song of the Lord"), a Sanskrit poem, consisting of 700 verses divided into 18 chapters, that is regarded by most Hindus as their most important text-the essence of their belief. Almost every significant Hindu philosopher has written a commentary on the Gita, and new translations and interpretations continue to appear.
The Gita, which is set in Book VI of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, is in the form of a dialogue between the incarnate god Krishna and a human hero, Prince Arjuna, on the holy field of Kurukshetra, before the great Mahabharata battle. Arjuna expresses his unwillingness to engage in a war against friends and relatives. Krishna's reply is an exhortation for Arjuna to do his own duty, that is, as a warrior, to fight and kill. Krishna then explains the nature of the soul and the proper way to reach God.
Incorporating many doctrines, such as the immortality of the individual soul (atman) and its identity with the supreme godhead (Brahman), the process of reincarnation, and the need to renounce the fruits of one's actions, the Gita draws heavily on the teachings of the Upanishads and the philosophy of Sankhya. Spirit (purusha) and matter or nature (prakriti), which is divided into the triple strands of goodness, passion, and darkness, are complementary. Krishna reconciles the opposing claims of sacrifice and worldly duty, on the one hand, with meditation and renunciation, on the other hand, through devotion to God . This god appears briefly in his terrifying doomsday form before turning back into the compassionate human form of Krishna. | <urn:uuid:30e38bfe-247a-4a22-a5c4-aa15eac518b7> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://sympweb.tripod.com/epics.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886104560.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818024629-20170818044629-00131.warc.gz | en | 0.955227 | 1,415 | 3.734375 | 4 |
Between 1925 and the 1960s, in a tiny town called Tuam in western Ireland's County Galway, thousands of "fallen women" and their "illegitimate" children passed through the Mother and Baby Home operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours. After a period of involuntary service and penance, many of the women who came to the home left to resume their lives, as The Post's Terrence McCoy reported in 2014.
But some of the children did not leave. And what became of them remained a mystery into which few cared to inquire.
But after painstaking research, a local historian named Catherine Corless became convinced in 2014 that the infants and small children - perhaps 700 to 800 of them - died in the home and were buried without markers in mass graves beneath the property, perhaps in an underground structure such as a septic tank.
The story, which attracted worldwide publicity, was met with skepticism and even suggestions that it was a hoax. It wasn't.
A commission established by the Irish government in response to her research and the ensuing controversy has reported finding "significant quantities of human remains" in 17 "underground chambers" inside a buried structure.
That structure, the commission said Friday, "appears to be related" to the treatment and containment of sewage and/or wastewater, though it was uncertain whether the structure was ever used for that purpose.
There is no uncertainty about the remains.
A small number of them were recovered for analysis, the commission reported. "These remains," it said, "involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges" from approximately 35 fetal weeks to 2-to-3 years.
"Radiocarbon dating of the samples recovered suggest that the remains date from the time frame relevant to the operation of the Mother and Baby Home," the commission said. "A number of the samples are likely to date from the 1950s."
Further tests are being conducted.
The commission said it was "shocked" by the discovery and "is continuing its investigation into who was responsible for the disposal of human remains in this way."
The testing and excavation found another structure as well, which the commission said appeared to be "a large sewage containment system or septic tank that had been decommissioned and filled with rubble and debris and then covered with top soil." The report did not say whether researchers had yet looked for remains in that structure.
"This is very sad and disturbing news," Katherine Zappone, Ireland's minister for children and youth affairs, said in a statement. "It was not unexpected, as there were claims about human remains on the site over the last number of years."
But previously the claims amounted to mere rumors, Zappone said. "Now we have confirmation that the remains are there, and that they date back to the time of the Mother and Baby Home," she said.
"Today is about remembering and respecting the dignity of the children who lived their short lives in this Home," Zappone added. "We will honour their memory and make sure that we take the right actions now to treat their remains appropriately."
In a statement published in the Irish Times, the Bon Secours sisters said they were "fully committed to the work of the commission regarding the mother and baby home in Tuam. . . . On the closing of the home in 1961, all the records for the home were returned to Galway County Council, who are the owners and occupiers of the lands of the home. We can therefore make no comment on today's announcement, other than to confirm our continued cooperation with and support for the work of the commission in seeking the truth about the home."
Corless's original theory and now its confirmation "provide a glimpse into a particularly dark time for unmarried pregnant women in Ireland, where societal and religious mores stigmatized them," McCoy wrote in 2014 for The Post.
Without means to support themselves, women by the hundreds wound up at the Home, Corless told The Post in 2014. "Families would be afraid of neighbors finding out, because to get pregnant out of marriage was the worst thing on Earth. It was the worst crime a woman could commit, even though a lot of the time it had been because of a rape."
The government's placement of mothers in institutions such as the Tuam home was a form of social welfare outsourcing, accompanied by payments to the homes, albeit small ones.
Corless' research found that infant mortality at the home in Tuam was particularly high. Records for that home show that babies died at the rate of two per week from malnutrition and neglect, and from diseases such as measles and gastroenteritis, Corless told the Post in 2014.
Her interest in a subject others preferred to forget began when she was doing research for an annual local historical journal. She heard about a graveyard near what had been the Tuam home and wondered how many children might be buried there. In addition to looking at records of deaths at the home, Corless found that several boys had stumbled across a cracked piece of concrete "filled to the brim with human skulls and bones," she told The Post in 2014. "They said even to this day they still have nightmares of finding the bodies."
In the wake of the commission's report Friday, Corless told the Irish Times that it was "an enormous relief to have the truth come out about what I knew. I can only imagine what the survivors of those who died there must feel, and those who had family connections to the home. The Church and State owes them all an apology," she said.
The commission is already investigating how unmarried mothers and their babies were treated between 1922 and 1998 at 18 religious institutions used by the state.
"This could have gone either way," Corless told the Irish Mirror.
"It could have been covered up as it was in the 1970s when this investigation should have taken place," she said. "The county council knew at the time that there were remains there, the guards knew it, the religious [orders] knew it and it was just all nicely covered in and forgotten about.
"When I started this research," she told the Mirror, "I was asked, 'What are you doing? It's a long time ago. If there's bodies there just leave them.' "
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | <urn:uuid:27000d95-fe12-401b-accb-c33cf90ae8f6> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/decades-old-mass-grave-of-children-of-unwed-mothers-confirmed-in-ireland-1666260?ndtv_related | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187822930.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20171018104813-20171018124813-00494.warc.gz | en | 0.987276 | 1,315 | 2.640625 | 3 |
OUCC Proceedings 12 (1986)
How it all Began
|OUCC Proceedings 12 contents|
by John Wilcock
See also: OUCC Proc 1: Northern Cavern_& Mine Society Newsletter; CRG Publication 14: 1961 Pictures
The first moves towards British cave exploration of the Picos de Europa began during the summer of 1960. The ideas had been there before, swimming around in private, but they surfaced in OUCC towards the end of the 1959/60 season.
How different things were then, at the beginning of the swinging sixties! In Oxford University there were no mixed colleges. In the men's colleges, it was officially necessary to get permission to entertain a young lady in one's room, and the gates closed at 11pm (there were many "climbing-in" routes which improved rock climbing abilities). There was a secret "Bath Club" with male undergraduate members who had bathed within a women's college, successful bathers being awarded a tie with silver tap motifs, or with gold tap motifs if the taps themselves had been removed at the time of the bath.
Scholastic gowns were supposed to be worn at all lectures, though the scientists never bothered. Caving activities were hampered by the fact that no undergraduate could keep a car within the City of Oxford, and most caving meets required the arranging of coach transport. Moreover, there were few motorways, and the Severn Bridge, which was later to become such a boon to cavers of the south engaged in new explorations in the South Wales limestone, did not exist. Caving equipment and exploration techniques were quite primitive - wetsuits were unknown, and the days of rope ladders were not long gone (home-made steel wire ladders with magnesium alloy rungs were considered by members of OUCC to be the very latest thing).
It was Mike Walker who started things off by bringing an interest in archaeological carvings from his native Yorkshire. Outline planning rapidly produced a scheme for a team of four archaeologists with a back-up team of eight cavers. Plans for road transport, a search for sponsorship, and a target date of August / September 1961 soon appeared. But where to go? Galicia would undoubtedly be the target for the archaeologists, but that province did not look at all promising for six weeks of cave exploration. The geographical and topographical map collections of the Bodleian Library map room were scoured for more promising country within hailing distance of Galicia, in case the rescue services there were required.
Further east along the northern coast of Spain there was no shortage of limestone country, formed by the westward extension of the Carboniferous limestones of the Pyrenees. But the true Pyrenean limestones, already famous through the explorations of Norbert Casteret and others, were too far away, and there was a definite shortage of maps portraying the high relief we sought. Halfway between Santander and Oviedo, however, the Picos de Europa looked promising; and it was the discovery of sheets of a German topographical survey that first revealed to us the western massif - the Macizo Occidental - and in particular a track leading up into the mountains, which pinpointed what was to be our chosen base camp. So the selection of this now important caving area owes its origin to the survival of maps undoubtedly produced by Nazi Germany's involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Beyond that, OUCC's choice was purely fortuitous - yet how fortunate it has proved to be!
The personnel now began to be finalised. As the year passed, Ken Mills, Ian Gordon and John Wilcock undertook the job of seeking sponsorship in kind, and Ken's rooms in University College began to resemble Aladdin's Cave as letter after letter bore the fruits of Complan, Tuf boots and the statutory Kendal Mint Cake. Dave Hukin's management of transport arrangements led to the purchase of two ex-army Bedford lorries. Mike Austin saw to the arrangements for chemical analysis of cave waters and photography; John Crompton and John Wilcock drew up programmes of geomorphological and cave survey. The latter involved ground resistivity measurements which were in their infancy at the time, and this required visits to the late Professor Palmer at Wells, and tests of the equipment at Bull Pot Farm. The strength of the caving team was improved by recruiting assistants from MUSS - Mike Holroyd, Jim Morgan and Tony Delany - and by carrying out training meets on Ingleborough and Casterton Fell. Finally, Martin Trump joined the archaeological team from London.
What little there was in print about Spanish limestones and caves was painstakingly studied (in Spanish), including a small paperback "Nociones de Espeleogia" which gave some very general information on our chosen area. Mike Walker and Martin Cummins wrote endless letters in the rather flowery official Spanish to obtain the necessary temporary import licences, and to smooth our passage and arrival. To fend off boredom towards the summer, most of us took our final degree examinations....
Once the academic year had drawn to a close with its welcome May balls and celebrations, the last-minute preparations could begin in earnest. The old Scout and Guide club meeting room became our HQ, where 1100' of lightweight caving ladder was constructed from donated components before being whisked up to Worksop for professional finishing of the eye splices. The three-ton lorry visited London for sets of UniRoyal retreads for both vehicles, and the construction of a Dexion rack over and behind the cab, both provided through the sponsorship of the companies concerned.
Towards the end of July preparations became even more frantic, but at last 31st July 1961 arrived and we set off down the High, stopping outside the Mitre for press photographs. After a relatively uneventful journey across the Channel, the results of buying third hand vehicles became apparent - a seized brake cylinder pitted beyond repair, but the stop on a rubbish dump near Rouen did not prove disasterous since we were in northern France, where spares for Bedford army lorries seemed to be very readily obtainable, because of the legacy of the war. (This was even more fortunate on the return trip, when the effects of 62-octane petrol from Galicia had taken its toll on the one-ton vehicle and turned its exhaust valves into split mushrooms.) A stop to see the famous painted caves of Lascaux, then still open to the public, was enlivened by a complete refit of the three-ton lorry brake master cylinder.
France behind us, we had to spend all night at the Spanish border post at Hendaye/Irun, sleeping in, under and on top of the lorries until officers of sufficient seniority arrived in the morning to clear our import certificates. A well-deserved beach stop preceded a night descent into Bilbao, and a disconcerting meal of squidlets cooked in their own ink. After a further night and a journey along the unmetalled tortuous coast road we reached at last Cangas de Onis, the local town in whose mayorality lay our destination. Letters of introduction to "El Alcalde" produced a response from the whole township, and we were welcomed with great kindness and friendship throughout our stay.
After stocking up with local groceries we pointed our vehicles at the long steep mountain road. Up into the clouds we went, stopping from time to time to rest bottom gears and to admire the limestone shakeholes by the side of the unmetalled track. In thick cloud we came to the Vega de Enol, and with visibility reduced to a few yards the Refugio loomed up before us. In such weather it seemed churlish to forsake the warm and dry buildings for tents and lorries, and after two days of torrential rain the Refugio began to feel like home. At last, on the evening of the third day, the cloud began to move. Spellbound, we saw the valley floor; then the wooded slopes beyond - then the bare limestone hills above; ...and, at last, that fantastic row of pointed peaks, glowing pink in an alpine sunset, which haunts the memories of all who have followed the first expedition in 1961 to the Picos de Europa. | <urn:uuid:71066080-68fa-487a-844b-a36e19c5d4fb> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://oucc.org.uk/procs/proc12/jw.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934806030.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20171120111550-20171120131550-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.971762 | 1,705 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Deforestation in Malayisa Releases Fast-Acting Malaria Parasite
Malaria like that affecting the dark purple blood cells above is becoming a more serious concern for Malaysia. Photo Credit: Nephron via Wikipedia
A dangerous and potentially deadly monkey-borne parasite has reared its head in Malaysia. Once rarely seen in humans, it is now responsible for more than two-thirds of hospitalized malaria patients in Malaysian Borneo. The cause? Deforestation in Malaysia.
Plasmodium knowlesi is a Southeast Asian malaria parasite that, in a healthy world, would be of little consequence to humans. It preys on the long-tailed macaque, transmitted from one monkey to the other by mosquito-induced blood transfusion. Multiplying quickly and causing shaking chills, high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and eventually convulsions and coma (among other nasty symptoms), this life-threatening disease is to be avoided at all costs. Luckily, the only way it can spread to a human is through direct blood contact contamination from macaque to man. Theoretically this could happen if a macaque with a bloody mouth bit you, but it almost always occurs when a human is bitten by a mosquito who just feasted on a monkey.
This occurrence used to be quite rare, but has increased dramatically in Malaysia of late. A surprising 2,584 cases of this type of malaria were reported in Malaysia in 2014, and the reason is likely deforestation. Research suggests that over the past decade, massive loss of native forests to logging and palm oil production has brought villagers and macaque monkeys much closer together, enabling the parasite to jump from animal to human hosts. If cases continue to rise, the researchers warn, the parasite could evolve to a point where mosquitoes could transmit the parasite from human to human, spreading the disease across Southeast Asia.
This new danger adds to a host of problems caused by deforestation and the palm oil trade in Malaysia. On top of species extinction, soil erosion, weather destabilization, human trafficking, and the endangerment of Malaysia’s ecotourism industry, the threat of malaria epidemic provides further incentive for the Government to curtail the palm oil and logging activity responsible. | <urn:uuid:56b8a04e-2bbd-43a0-b0c9-5d09d7dbb877> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://cleanmalaysia.com/2015/10/29/deforestation-in-malayisa-releases-fast-acting-malaria-parasite/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875144429.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20200219214816-20200220004816-00048.warc.gz | en | 0.927185 | 445 | 3.21875 | 3 |
We all know that Christianity is one of the largest and largest religions in the world. Several holidays, customs and beliefs, which were celebrated by some of the world’s leading countries, were originally based on Christianity. We can easily say that this is the easiest religion to understand. One of the main elements that separate Christianity from all other religions is the belief that Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Lord. This article focuses on key information about Christianity. All you have to do is pay due attention to this article.
All Christians are firmly convinced that Jesus is the Son of God, and died because of the sins of men. The main spiritual text for Christians is the Bible. The main place is occupied by the New Testament, which begins after the birth of Jesus. However, they also interpret the Old Testament and learn from this part of the Bible. These people generally celebrated the Sabbath or the rest day on Sunday. You must surf the web and gather important information about this religion. You can find all the information on the network or visit http://www.tomorrowsworldhk.com/articles/.
Christian holidays such as Easter and Good Friday are an important part of Christian culture, and are usually celebrated by attending church services. In addition, these holidays are celebrated by giving gifts to loved ones of Santa Claus and receiving gifts from the Easter Bunny. However, this culture of giving gifts on Christian holidays is not part of the Christian faith. This article was subsequently added by several stores to sell their products. However, Christians have always been abused in a variety of ways.
The persecution of Christians is becoming quite visible throughout the world. This is certainly quite dangerous and has attracted the attention of many people. Previously, Christians were generally persecuted by Jews and the Roman Empire for believing in Jesus. In this regard, you must carefully select all your options. According to current Christian news, approximately 1 million people have been harassed by Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. If you want to know more about this religion, you can contact a priest or even surf the net at http://www.tomorrowsworldhk.com/about-us/.
Important things to keep in mind regarding Christianity
So, here are some of the most important things to keep in mind regarding Christianity and the persecution of Christians. This is really a sad practice that still prevails in our society. The fight against him is becoming increasingly difficult, as it has become an international phenomenon. You should read this article carefully if you wish to obtain more information on this subject. This article can definitely offer you important information about it. Have fun and enjoy. You must study this incredible subject carefully! | <urn:uuid:a4f2ec06-d623-4154-9c9f-8a411ad0ab81> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | http://www.leadsmonthly.com/general/christianity-details-of-christian-culture.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655897844.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20200709002952-20200709032952-00311.warc.gz | en | 0.972994 | 538 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Feeling impatient to start growing veggies again? Why not grow microgreens? One of the newest culinary trends, a recent study from the University of Maryland indicates that these teeny-tiny young plants are jam-packed with nutrients: four to six times as potent as those of their older cousins.
Microgreens are less than fourteen days old and usually about an inch high when they’re harvested. They’re different from sprouts, which are ready to eat in just 48 hours, germinated in water just long enough to grow roots, a stem and leaves. Microgreens require soil, sunlight and at least 7 days of growth before they’re ready to eat.
Best yet? These miniature veggies are easy for the home gardener to grow, and are a great choice for those with limited space.
To get started planting microgreens:
- Choose your greens: Mustard, kale, beet greens, arugula and spinach are popular choices, or you can start with a prepackaged salad seed mix: any lettuce, salad green or herb can be grown as a microgreen.
- If you’re planting in the ground: Loosen and rake the soil smooth, and scatter seeds so that they are about 1/8-1/4 of an inch apart. You’ll be harvesting the plants very young, so no need to worry about giving them space to spread out. Once the seeds are scattered, cover with a shallow layer of soil and water gently.
- If you’re planting in a container: Choose a container that’s at least two inches deep and fill it with a good quality potting mix. Again, scatter seeds close together and cover with a thin layer of soil — about 1/8 inch. Water thoroughly and place in a sunny area. Your plant will need at least 4 hours of sun per day.
- Keep the soil moist: Also make sure to remove any weeds so that they don’t choke out your teeny plants.
Now watch and wait! Since you’ll be harvesting soon, you probably
won’t have to worry about pests or diseases. When your microgreens have
developed their first set of true leaves — generally about ten to
fourteen days after planting — cut the microgreens just above the soil.
Since the plants haven’t had time to develop, you won’t get any
additional harvests from that planting, so if you want a new crop, just
replant (no need to remove the old roots).
Once you’ve harvested,
add your microgreens to salads, use as a nutritious garnish, or create a
yummy soup. Since they’re so quick to reach harvest and will never need
to be transplanted outdoors, it’s easy to experiment with different
kinds of greens and makes a fun and delicious winter-time gardening | <urn:uuid:42d2ee58-0b32-47e6-be70-1a18e117450a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hgtvgardens.com/lettuce/forget-the-green-giant-tiny-microgreens-pack-a-powerful-health-punch | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382560/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908432 | 611 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Big Data is THE topic of the freshly published Statistical Journal of the IAOS – Volume 31, issue 2.
Five articles deal with Big-Data topics:
- International collaboration to understand the relevance of Big Data for official statistics
- Web scraping techniques to collect data on consumer electronics and airfares for Italian HICP compilation
- The production of salary profiles of ICT professionals: Moving from structured database to big data analytics
- “Re-make/Re-model”: Should big data change the modelling paradigm in official statistics?
- Measuring output quality for multisource statistics in official statistics: Some directions
In the editorial Fride Eeg-Henriksen and Peter Hackl give an overview of the Big-Data discussions hold in Official Statistics. Here some remarks taken from this editorial:
‘In spite of the wide interest in and the great popularity of Big Data, no clear and commonly accepted definition of the notion Big Data could be established so far . Modern technological, social and economic developments including the growth of smart devices and infrastructure, the growing availability and efficiency of the internet, the appeal of social networking sites and the prevalence and ubiquity of IT systems are resulting in the generation of huge streams of digital data. The complexities of the structure and dynamic of corresponding datasets, the challenges in developing the suitable software tools for data analytics, generally the diversity of potentials in making use of the masses of available data make it difficult to find a suitable and generally applicable definition. The often mentioned characterization of Big Data by 3 – or more – Vs (volume, velocity, variety – as well as veracity and value), does not capture the enormous scope of the corresponding data sets and the extensive potentials of making use of these data. A highly relevant aspect is that Big Data are so large and complex that traditional database management tools and data processing applications are not feasible and efficient means. This is illustrated by a look at the categories of data sources which typically are seen in the context of Big Data: Such data sources may be
– Administrative, e.g., medical records, insurance records, bank records.
– Commercial transactions, e.g., credit card transactions, scanners in supermarkets.
– Sensors, e.g., satellite imaging, environmental sensors, road sensors.
– Tracking devices, e.g., tracking data from mobile telephones, GPS
– Tracks of human behaviour, e.g., online searches, online page viewing.
– Documentation of opinion, e.g., comments posted in social media.
‘A general conclusion from the set of articles in this Special Section can be drawn as follows: The feasibility and the potentials of using Big Data in official statistics have to be assessed from case to case. In some areas the use of Big Data sources has already proved to be feasible. The choice of the appropriate IT technology and statistical methods must be specific for each situation. Also issues like the representativity and the quality of the resulting statistics, or the confidentiality and the risk of disclosure of personal data need to be assessed individually for each case. There is no doubt that Big Data will have a place in the future of official statistics, helping to reduce costs and burden on respondents. However, major efforts will be necessary to establish the routine wise use of Big Data, and new approaches will be needed for assessing all aspects of quality.’
C. Reimsbach-Kounatze, (2015), The Proliferation of “Big Data” and Implications for Official Statistics and Statistical Agencies: A Preliminary Analysis”, OECD Digital Economy Papers, No. 245, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5js7t9wqzvg8-en
See also: Big Data in Action May 2015 | <urn:uuid:f644f72b-bca0-4aa2-94e8-679fbf0d38a1> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://blogstats.wordpress.com/2015/06/05/big-data-and-official-statistics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549436316.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170728002503-20170728022503-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.888446 | 775 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The richer the assortment of amphibian species living in a pond, the more protection that community of frogs, toads and salamanders has against a parasitic infection that can cause severe deformities, including the growth of extra legs, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder.
The findings, published Feb. 14 in the journal Nature, support the idea that greater biodiversity in larger-scale ecosystems, such as forests or grasslands, may also provide greater protection against diseases, including those that attack humans. For example, a larger number of mammal species in an area may curb cases of Lyme disease, while a larger number of bird species may slow the spread of West Nile virus.
“How biodiversity affects the risk of infectious diseases, including those of humans and wildlife, has become an increasingly important question,” said Pieter Johnson, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and lead author of the study. “But as it turns out, solidly testing these linkages with realistic experiments has proven very challenging in most systems.”
Researchers have struggled to design comprehensive studies that could illuminate the possible connection between disease transmission and the number of species living in complex ecosystems. Part of the problem is simply the enormous number of organisms that may need to be sampled and the vast areas over which those organisms may roam.
The new CU-Boulder study overcomes that problem by studying smaller, easier-to-sample ecosystems. Johnson and his team visited hundreds of ponds in California, recording the types of amphibians living there as well as the number of snails infected by the pathogen Ribeiroia ondatrae. Snails are an intermediate host used by the parasite during part of its life cycle.
“One of the great challenges in studying the diversity-disease link has been collecting data from enough replicate systems to differentiate the influence of diversity from background ‘noise,’ ” Johnson said. “By collecting data from hundreds of ponds and thousands of amphibian hosts, our group was able to provide a rigorous test of this hypothesis, which has relevance to a wide range of disease systems.”
Johnson’s team buttressed its field observations both with laboratory tests designed to measure how prone to infection each amphibian species is and by creating pond replicas outside using large plastic tubs stocked with tadpoles that were exposed to a known number of parasites. All of the experiments told the same story, Johnson said. Greater biodiversity reduced the number of successful amphibian infections and the number of deformed frogs.
In all, the CU-Boulder researchers spent three years sampling 345 wetlands and recording malformations — which include missing, misshapen or extra sets of hind legs — caused by parasitic infections in 24,215 amphibians. They also cataloged 17,516 snails. The results showed that ponds with half a dozen amphibian species had a 78 percent reduction in parasite transmission compared to ponds with just one amphibian species. The research team also set up experiments in the lab and outdoors using 40 artificial ponds, each stocked with 60 amphibians and 5,000 parasites.
The reason for the decline in parasitic infections as biodiversity increases is likely related to the fact that ponds add amphibian species in a predictable pattern, with the first species to appear being the most prone to infection and the later species to appear being the least prone. For example, the research team found that in a pond with just one type of amphibian, that amphibian was almost always the Pacific chorus frog, a creature that is able to rapidly reproduce and quickly colonize wetland habitats, but which is also especially vulnerable to infection and parasite-induced deformities.
On the other hand, the California tiger salamander was typically one of the last species to be added to a pond community and also one of the most resistant to parasitic infection. Therefore, in a pond with greater biodiversity, parasites have a higher chance of encountering an amphibian that is resistant to infection, lowering the overall success rate of transmission between infected snails and amphibians.
This same pattern — of less diverse communities being made up of species that are more susceptible to disease infection — may well play out in more complex ecosystems as well, Johnson said. That’s because species that disperse quickly across ecosystems appear to trade off the ability to quickly reproduce with the ability to develop disease resistance.
“This research reaches the surprising conclusion that the entire set of species in a community affects the susceptibility to disease,” said Doug Levey, program director in the National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology, which helped fund the research. “Biodiversity matters.”
The sheer magnitude of the recent study also reinforces the connection between deformed frogs and parasitic infection, Johnson said. Beginning in the mid-1990s reports of frogs with extra, missing or misshapen legs skyrocketed, attracting widespread attention in the media and motivating scientists to try to figure out the cause. Johnson was among the researchers who found evidence of a link between infection with Ribeiroia and frog deformities, though the apparent rise in reports of deformations, and its underlying cause, remains controversial.
While the new study has implications beyond parasitic infections in amphibians, it does not mean that an increase in biodiversity always results in a decrease in disease, Johnson cautioned. Other factors also affect rates of disease transmission. For example, a large number of mosquitoes hatching in a particular year will increase the risk of contracting West Nile virus, even if there has been an increase in the biodiversity of the bird population. Birds act as “reservoir hosts” for West Nile virus, harboring the pathogen indefinitely with no ill effects and passing the pathogen onto mosquitoes.
“Our results indicate that higher diversity reduces the success of pathogens in moving between hosts,” Johnson said. “Nonetheless, if infection pressure is high, for instance in a year with high abundance of vectors, there will still be a significant risk of disease; biodiversity will simply function to dampen transmission success.”
CU-Boulder graduate students Dan Preston and Katie Richgels co-authored the study along with Jason Hoverman, a former postdoctoral researcher in Johnson’s lab who is now an assistant professor at Purdue. The research was funded by NSF, the National Geographic Society and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
To view photos and a video about the research, visit http://freshwatersillustrated.org/link/AmphibianDeformities. | <urn:uuid:941051f4-5ea9-40f6-bf37-1a54c8120ed8> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://www.colorado.edu/today/2013/02/13/cu-boulder-amphibian-study-shows-how-biodiversity-can-protect-against-disease | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818689775.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20170923194310-20170923214310-00053.warc.gz | en | 0.948196 | 1,340 | 3.296875 | 3 |
Montana Clean Energy
MEIC plays an active role in promoting Montana clean energy projects and policies. Montana has an abundance of clean, renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, energy efficiency, small hydro, and low-emission biomass. In fact, Montana boasts the 5th best wind resource in the nation but ranks only 22nd in installed capacity. Much more can and should be done to meet Montana’s energy needs with these clean, reliable, and affordable resources. These resources are the keys to a sustainable energy future and have numerous indispensable benefits including:
- the avoidance of air, water, and land pollution associated with fossil fuel-based power plants;
- the absence of greenhouse gas and mercury emissions that accelerate global warming and compromise public health;
- the virtue of insulating consumers from the fuel price risks of coal and gas; and
- the creation jobs and new income for local landowners and governments.
The Clean Power Plan proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will play a critical role in reducing dangerous carbon emissions in Montana as well as assist in spurring clean energy development and jobs.
Every two years NorthWestern Energy (the state’s largest utility) submits a plan to the Public Service Commission outlining the utility’s 20-year vision for Montana’s energy future. MEIC participates on an advisory committee as part of this process and submits technical comments concerning the plan.
MEIC plays a key role in supporting federal, state, and local policies that promote clean energy. At the state level, MEIC leads the effort to pass policies that help expand clean, affordable, reliable and efficient energy solutions for Montana.
Montana has an abundance of wind, solar, and other clean, renewable resources. MEIC has a track record of effectively advocating for clean, renewable energy projects across Montana.
Energy efficiency and conservation are the least expensive, most reliable, and cleanest energy sources available. MEIC works to promote energy conservation, our single greatest energy source.
In addition to promoting clean energy alternatives, MEIC also focuses on education to make others more aware of the benefits of renewable energy and the danger climate change poses to Montana and the entire world.
Tax credits and low-interest loans help reduce upfront costs for individuals who improve the energy efficiency of their homes or install renewable energy systems on their property. | <urn:uuid:5fb46b5b-47d7-4bfa-8888-4a668afbcd63> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://meic.org/issues/montana-clean-energy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423269.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20170720161644-20170720181644-00707.warc.gz | en | 0.929298 | 480 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The first five lines present the musician and his lute preparing to perform their last, wasted, effort. The song will be cyclical – ending as it begins – and when the song is finished, he commands his lute to stop, as he has given up.
The musician explains that to be heard when there is no audience is like trying to engrave marble with lead. Similarly, he says, he cannot pierce his lady’s heart. He asks whether he should complain or rejoice, but decides against these as he is resigned to his fate.
The rocks that continually repulse the waves are not as cruel as the woman who constantly rejects his love and attention. Now he is past caring and repeats his refrain of resignation – ‘I have done’.
The narrator speaks directly to his lady, saying that her rejection of him will be avenged as she trivializes his genuine suffering. He tells her she is not alone, and that she is free to continue her torture of others, although him, and his lute, have quit.
Again directly to the lady, the narrator predicts that she may lie old and wrinkled through cold winter nights, complaining to the moon. Then, the wishes she now keeps secret will not have an audience, for he will have given up.
Then, he says, she may perhaps be remorseful of the time she spent and lost making others fall for her. Then, she will learn that beauty is temporary, and will desire, and hope, as he has.
The narrator now directs his attentions back to his lute, telling it that this is their last pointless task together and that they will end as they began; with the song over, the lute is still and the song is ended.
This song is written in quintains – five-line verses. Each is concluded with a sentiment of resignation. This lute song is more typical of the content and intention of the courtly lute song; it was alternately titled ‘The Lover Complaineth the Unkindness of His Love’ which was a subject typical of poetry and music from this time.
The first five lines express the futility of the song in that the effort of the narrator and his lute will be in vain; his song will not win her back and he has given up the pursuit. The simile of her heart being like marble indicates the stony nature of the lady, but also presents an amusing parody of the blazon form of poetry, made popular in France in the 1530’s by Clement Marot. This form strove to identify the attributes of a desirable woman, from head to toe, through comparisons that exaggerated her grace and beauty. The skin of a woman was variously compared in the blazon form to alabaster or marble. In this song, however, Wyatt stresses the impenetrable nature of the marble as an obstacle to attaining the lady’s affection, rather than a physical quality worthy of admiration. His response to her stony reception is also a deviation from the norm of the genre. The narrator does not plan to spend the rest of his life wallowing in the torment of rejection – he repeats the line which completed the first quintain: ‘for I have done’; he has given up on the fruitless pursuit.
The comparison of his rejection being more cruel than the repeated rejection of the sea by the rocks is a passionate yet violent image. If he has rejected her punishment of him, then the narrator has broken a natural cycle akin to the tides. He says he is ‘past remedy’ meaning beyond cure, beyond hope or, more likely, beyond playing the role of wounded lover. Instead, he bares his emotions for the perusal of an audience. His conclusion here involves his instrument – ‘my lute and I have done’ - suggesting that the poet will sing this tale no more.
The narrator speaks directly to his audience, noting that the cruel lady has a ‘spoil’ of ‘simple hearts’. Her inconstancy and infidelity is stressed here, and these were certainly issues that Wyatt himself experienced in his marriage to Elizabeth Brooke and in his liaison with Anne Boleyn. His melancholy tone has dropped by this point, and there is a definite edge of bitterness and vengeance. | <urn:uuid:d3de9c61-2828-4402-9abc-0973f9302801> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.gradesaver.com/collected-poems-of-sir-thomas-wyatt/study-guide/summary-my-lute-awake | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886102967.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20170817053725-20170817073725-00616.warc.gz | en | 0.983234 | 891 | 2.84375 | 3 |
INGRID is a real time automatic incident detection system which uses algorithms to detect incidents. Techniques have been developed to assess the effect of a detected incident on the network.
There are two algorithms which are used to detect incidents. One examines current traffic data for sudden changes in flow and occupancy. No reference data is required for this algorithm.
The other algorithm uses historic reference data provided by the ASTRID database. For all SCOOT detectors in the network a daily profile of the expected flow and occupancy in each 15 minute period is stored and automatically updated in the ASTRID database. The algorithm detects incidents by comparing the current traffic situation with that expected from the historic reference data in ASTRID. The algorithms use standard deviations and mean values to determine a confidence level against which to assess the current data. An incident is indicated if the conditions are satisfied for one minute. When the conditions are satisfied for three consecutive minutes more weight is given to the incident report.
Both algorithms require data on the flow and occupancy over loops on consecutive links to detect an incident in the road space between them. Incidents are indicated during the following conditions:
- decrease in occupancy and flow at the downstream detector
- increase in occupancy and a decrease in flow at the upstream detector
For best results the routine requires the flow and occupancy data for each traffic signal cycle.
Once an incident has been detected, it is important to establish the extent to which the incident will alter traffic flow around the network. There are two main effects to be considered - the area affected by the spread of congestion due to the incident and the additional delay to vehicles travelling through the affected area.
The severity index currently deployed in INGRID considers only the first effect by indicating those detectors which are affected by an incident. The greater the severity of an incident, the larger the number of affected detectors. INGRID calculates which detectors upstream and downstream of an incident are affected. In calculating the confidence of an incident, the duration of the incident is also considered.
Click the thumbnails below to open the image in a new window | <urn:uuid:85b4a6d0-10cf-4a59-9af5-14dcbee164d9> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://scoot-utc.com/INGRID.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818689752.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20170923160736-20170923180736-00615.warc.gz | en | 0.933989 | 420 | 2.75 | 3 |
I’ve heard it said that John Calvin was not in favor of rebellion against the government, and that it was John Locke to whom would-be rebels looked to justify Christian rebellion, as we might call it. For a recent example of this view see here. But I think the matter is a bit more complicated than that, and that a case can be made for Calvin leaving open, in fact if not in intention, the legitimacy of rebellion as a last resort against civil injustice.
It is worth remembering that Calvin’s view of government was aristocratic. The king’s power was not to be absolute, but he is to govern together with his nobles. Calvin’s treatment of civil government is in Book IV of the Institutes, the last chapter (20). At the beginning of Book IV Calvin explicitly links to his earlier teaching on the two kingdoms. (Book III.19)
The former [kingdom], in some measure, begins the heavenly kingdom in us, even now upon earth, and in this mortal and evanescent life commences immortal and incorruptible blessedness, while to the latter [kingdom] it is assigned, as long as we live among men to foster and maintain the external worship of God, to defend sound doctrine and the condition of the church, to adapt our conduct to human society, to form our manners to civil justice, to conciliate us to each other, to cherish common peace and tranquility. (IV.2)
You might ask why if Calvin holds to the two-kingdom doctrine, the Institutes should contain any instruction in political matters. The answer is because he believes that the NT teaches that government is warranted and put in place by God. As Paul says, the powers that be are ordained of God. Christians need to be reminded of this, he thinks, just as they need to know what the limits are to the powers of government.
It is widely believed even amongst Reformed people that Calvin was mistaken in including the part that I have quoted among the duties of the civil magistrate. The state should not try to protect the profession of the faith (as Calvin thought), but (instead) provide a public square in which any religion and none may or may not peaceably flourish. Calvin was a stranger to freedom of worship and toleration, as he was to a universal electoral franchise. He interpreted Paul’s words to Timothy “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” rather more strongly than most Christians today would interpret it. But nothing (I think) turns on this in what follows.
The forms of government
In Chapter 20 of Book IV of the Institutes, Calvin also says something about forms of government in general.
And if you compare the different states with each other, without regard to circumstances, it is not easy to determine which of these has the advantage in point of utility, so equal are the terms in which they meet. Monarchy is prone to tyranny. In an aristocracy, again, the tendency us not less to the faction of the few, while in popular ascendency there is the strongest tendency to sedition. When these three forms of government, of which philosophers treat, are considered in themselves, I, for my part, am far from denying that the form which greatly surpasses the others is aristocracy, either pure or modified by popular government, not indeed in itself, but because it very rarely happens that kings so rule themselves as never to dissent from want is just or right, or are possessed of so much acuteness and prudence always to see correctly. Owing therefore to the vices or defects of men, it is safer or more tolerable when several bear rule.
So, Calvin favors aristocracy because of the need for the operation of what later came to be called checks and balances. To put the point otherwise, the king needed his nobles as they needed him.
Government and equity
In the course of his chapter on Civil Government, Calvin also has things to say about the fact that there are different ways that the magistrate may express the natural law of God.
Yet we see that amid this diversity they all tend to the same end. For they all with one mouth declare against those crimes which are condemned by the eternal law of God. – i.e. murder, theft, adultery and false witness; though they agree not as to the mode of punishment. This is not necessary, nor even expedient. (IV 20.17)
This is valuable for those who see here a recognition of distinctive elements of the New Testament in Calvin’s understanding of the relation between the church and society, and not an attempt at a re-production of Mosaic theocracy. In recognizing legitimate differences in the way that the natural law is administered in different nations he recognizes the international character of New Testament Christianity. These different modes of administering the law are, Calvin says, to be seen as different ways in which the magistrates’ sense of equity may be expressed.
But can Calvin be saying that the natural law, however understood, must be seen as a legitimate recognition of the natural law, God’s “eternal law”? This cannot be, for in his commentaries and elsewhere Calvin pays attention to the “barbarous” nations. Barbarous nations are presumably those that do not give appropriate recognition of the natural law. And in any case he cannot think that whatever edicts the magistrate upholds are, simply in virtue of his upholding them, made equitable and so legitimate. (Note what he later says about the “undue license” of kings.) That is surely the road to tyranny.
We can at least say this: Calvin’s distinction between the equity of the natural law and the various ways in which it is concretely interpreted and applied in different societies opens up a gap or fissure to allow a critic of the status quo to probe the question: This is the law, but is it equitable? And to cite certain arrangements as oppressive and a legitimate target for rebellion.
Besides the issue of resistance to tyranny, and of equity, there is also the matter of civil disobedience. Calvin was against the government forcing people to sin, forcing them to attend the Mass, say. No, he said, Christians are to obey God, not men. So they must either publicly dissent by refusing attendance, and take the consequences, or flee. No Nicodemism! But are not such acts (or abstentions) of individuals, acts of civil disobedience?
But in that obedience which we hold to be due to the commands of rulers, we must always make the exception, no, must be particularly careful that it is not incompatible with obedience to Him to whose will the wishes of all kings should be subject, to whose decrees their command must yield, to whose majesty their sceptres must bow….
But what has civil disobedience to do with rebellion? Quite a bit, actually. Suppose that the number of Reformed Christians in France had been much greater than it was and these had agreed with Calvin in not adopting Nicodemism, then one can conceive of widespread instances of civil disobedience. And such passive resistance, as we know, can sometimes be brutally suppressed by the authorities. But also as we know, it can be successful in bringing about change. We need think only of Gandhi in colonial India, and the civil rights movement in the US.
Calvin and rebellion
These data – on the scope of government, on aristocracy as the preferred type of government, on government and equity, and on civil disobedience – provide the background to his brief remarks on rebellion in the closing paragraphs of the Institutes. First, there is vengeance against the tyranny of kings.
Although the Lord takes vengeance on unbridled domination, let us not therefore suppose that that vengeance is committed to us, to whom no command has been given but to obey and suffer. I speak only of private men. For when popular magistrates have been appointed to curb the tyranny of kings…and perhaps there is something similar to this in the power exercised in each kingdom by the three orders, when they hold their primary diets. So far am I from forbidding these officially to check the undue license of kings, that if they connive at kings when they tyrannize and insult over the humbler of the people, I affirm that their dissimulation is not free from nefarious perfidy, while knowing that, by the ordinance of God, they are its appointed guardians.
So Calvin is saying that God in his providence may arrange things so as to bridle the tyranny of kings. The instruments he uses for this may undertake this role consciously, or they may be God’s unwitting partners. And the “popular magistrates” have a responsibility to curb the “undue license” of kings, a responsibility which they may shirk. What then? Are there any other avenues of permissible resistance to the king? Calvin did not go so far as to say that this can ever be an option for Christians.
Yet it can be argued that for all his personal conservatism, there were, in Calvin’s view of civil society, enough chinks and fissures through which a case for rebellion against civic injustice could be developed. Calvin himself was certainly not an advocate of rebellion. Far from it. But what of those who came after? That this is the road that some Calvinists trod can be seen from Quentin Skinner’s The Foundations of Modern Political Thought, Volume 2: The Age of Reformation.
Paul Helm was appointed J.I. Packer Chair of Philosophical Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, in 2001. He is presently a Teaching Fellow there. Among his many books are Calvin and the Calvinists, Faith and Reason, The Trustworthiness of God, The Providence of God, Eternal God, The Secret Providence of God, The Trustworthiness of God (with Carl Trueman), John Calvin’s Ideas, Calvin at the Centre, and Calvin: A Guide for the Perplexed. | <urn:uuid:9dec3af3-73be-421d-b8ab-0c69b1f65412> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://www.credomag.com/2013/07/04/john-calvin-and-rebellion-against-the-government/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934806070.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20171120145722-20171120165722-00791.warc.gz | en | 0.968787 | 2,057 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Globalization is the process of joining the national and foreign markets into one global market for goods, services, capital, and technology and to some extent labor. This is the continuous process which has joined together the once separate, individual and restricted certain areas economies, ways of doing things and societies through advancements in information technology and increased global trade. The erstwhile local markets have transformed themselves and have become part of a global or worldwide market due to the increased changes in terms of advancements in the modes of transportation and the ways in which information is communicated following the advancement in the field of information technology (Morris, 2002).
The advent of globalization brought about a need by the trade unions to shape up according to the changing trends so that they could remain a major player in the market due to the changes in the structures and the forms of the labor markets and the way industrial relations were conducted (Binghay, 2003, p. 2). These changing conditions made it easier for the entrance of new players into the field of labor organization and therefore had influence on how issues concerning labor were handled. These included the church, learning institutions, and even the non governmental organizations.
The main actors in the industrial relations in the current world we live in do not act independently but work together and are influenced by the state of the market, level and rates of technological changes, and also the political arena in which they are acting. These actors include the employers, the government and the labor unions. Indeed, globalization has led to the changes in the environment in which the unions operate and this has affected their validity and future (Binghay, 2003, p. 3).
The rise of globalization was due to the individual countries competition with each other in an effort tom increase their power economically and militarily. In addition, colonial powers aimed at extracting wealth from their colonies and traded this with the other countries, leading to the formation of trade blocs. The collapse of the USSR led to the opening up of this market as economic liberalism was advocated for, which was the key ingredient for the emergence of liberalism hence the increased expansion of the private sector. Moreover, the formation of the united nation, League of Nations and the international labor organization (WTO) can be seen as the attempt from very early on to have a structure for a global world and global world standards. These standards included the formation of International Standards Organization, international travel, human rights, and levels of governance standards – these were the codes that were developed to control and monitor the acts of the globalization agents (Morris, 2002, p. 10).
The formation of international organizations like the IMF, world trade organization and the World Bank played a big role in the furthering of globalization. This process led to a need for some guidelines on how to act on the global stage including the need to respect human rights and freedoms, refraining from interfering with governments’ relations, corruption and the necessity for respecting countries sovereignty, which were adopted by the international labor organization in 1977 (Morris, 2002, p. 11).
With the increased changes in the world markets, the trade unions grew in size and the areas of representation also increased. Moreover, the international confederation of free trade unions was formed in 1949 as a response to these changes (Global education, 2009).
Globalization and the trade unions
The increase in the joining the national economies to form a unilateral global market and production systems have resulted in the joining of the localized and the global agendas pertaining the trade unions. The first trade unions and organizations that were not under the political influence started in 1889 and by 1914, more than 33 of these were in existence (Ryder, 2004, p. 21). In addition, the international confederation of free trade unions (ICFTU) is based on the thought that, recognized unions which address the workers plight should be controlled by their members only. It is an independent body that is funded by the members’ contributions and has more than 150 million members. Its main work is directed towards acting on the behalf the trade union to defend its interests on a global scale. It seeks to proportionate the social and economic benefits of the workers in relation to the levels of development and structural adjustment. The trade unions are brought together on an international scale by the global union federations. Since most of these trade unions have similar policies, the need to cooperate has been there for a long time.
Globalization has made it hard for the trade unions to effectively represent and make sure that their benefits are in line with the levels and rates of development mainly due to the increased rates of migrations by the workers. Indeed, this wave of migrations has enabled knowledge transfer, supported economic growth (Hutton, 2008).
The control of the international trade and/or investment has largely been in hands of the international companies called the multinationals. This gave them power to increase the competition by the workers and the governments to have the multinationals in their countries. This has also led to worsening of the working conditions due to the inability of the workers to fight for their rights (Globalization, 2010).
The concept of the free trade has led to the multinationals leaving their high priced labor market in their parent countries to invest in areas where they will incur lower labor costs. This is criticized by the trade unions on the basis that these special economic zones associated with low wages in comparison to the other areas tend to leave the workers abused. However, the unions are unable to help because these conditions are created deliberately in order to lock out the union organizations. The work of the labor unions in the United States revolves around the need for collective bargaining so that the workers can have favorable wages and benefits and also ensure that its members working environments are okay. Indeed, in 1980 when Ronald Regan was sworn in as the president of United States, he came up with some policies which were aimed at reducing the power of the laborers, while at the same time increasing the global scale in which the other sectors operated.
Private property ownership was increased and trade opened and the powers of the unions were regulated to ensure that the aspect of trade run smoothly. This has all the aspects of the neoliberal state (Harvey, 2005, p. 67). In addition, the United States has seen a decline in the number of people represented by the unions despite it having a large labor force of more than 142 million workers (Trade unions, n.d.). Here, trade unions started even before industrialization. Due to the increased impersonal associations with the increasing complex organizations, a need for worker representation and management was required. This brought about the emergence of scientific methods that were used for work design and were basis for determining the pay mechanism (Bamber, et al, 2004).
Capitalists who had power and prestige were looked down upon and opposed and this, together with the scientific methods, acted to deter the development of trade unions and their ability to represent the workers (Harvey, 2005, p. 68). The employers also acted to deter the growth of unions through the use of the decollectivist strategies which were aimed at alienating the workers from the unions by creating for them a substitute by the introduction of the company based and dominated unions. This severely hampered the principle of the group or collective bargaining (Wolman, 1975, p. 23).
The use of propaganda by the employers to discredit the unions together with the unfavorable legal environment in the US due to the adoption of free trade and support for the mechanisms that supported globalization resulted in the increased weakening of the trade unions and this continued until the workers needed an arbitrator during the great depression which saw the reemergence of unions as a force to reckon with in the industrial relations. Despite their revitalization, they were still controlled and regulated by the federal registration (Harvey, 2005, pp 68).
The employers in the United States have had their organizations for a long time. Basically, these organizations are directed at reducing union influence on the employees of such companies. This is because in the small and rural firms there existed unstructured informal employment practices and all the employment practices were informal in nature. Despite the claim that globalization has created unemployment in developed countries as labor moves to developing countries through foreign direct investment, the wider picture is that globalization expands the market leading to economic growth in world economies thus increased employment (International Labor Organization, n.d.). In an effort to maintain the status quo, the employers formed organizations that engaged in anti-union activities through lobbying, litigation and the use of bad publicity campaigns against the unions. They also resulted to educating and training their employees in the methods of avoiding the trade unions recruitment (Harvey, 2005, p. 70).
The government on its part has registered rules that seem to be tailored to encourage the workers to move away from union representation. These include the laws on union certification and their roles in bargaining for the employees rights in the private sector. Moreover, these rules give the employees a choice on whether to join the union or not.
Due to the decreased influence or the unions, the wages are determined on the basis of job evaluation and the assessment of individual’s performance in the non union sector. Nevertheless, the unionized sector is diminishing due to the breakdown of collective bargaining levels to become grass root based and employer specific (Harvey, 2005, p. 88).
Globalization has had major impacts on the ways in which trade and other related activities are conducted. This is through the consolidation and opening up of the world to the international dynamics of trading and mobility. The workers have been subjected to intense competitions from the other workers on the global platform which have led to the risks of using the international prevailing conditions to drive down the wages. Job security has become a thing of the past due to career, occupation, and work mobility. All the above conditions brought about by globalization have affected the functioning of trade unions in the United States of America.
Bamber, G. et al., 2004. International and Comparative Employment Relations. London, Sage publishers. Web.
Binghay, P., 2003.The Decline of Trade Unions and the Emerging Actors in Industrial Relations. Philippines: University of the Philippines. (Online). Web.
Global education. 2009. Globalization. (Online). Web.
Globalization. 2010. Negative Effects of Globalization. Web.
Harvey, D., 2005. A Brief History of Neoliberalism. London, Oxford University Press. Web.
Hutton, J., 2008. Globalization and the Changing UK Economy Business: Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Web.
International Labor Organization. N.d. Labor Market Trends and Globalization’s Impact on Them. 2010. Web.
Morris, R., 2002. International Trade Unions and Globalization: A Caribbean Workers’ Education Guide. Port of Spain, International Labor Office. Web.
Ryder, G., 2004. International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU): A Trade Union Guide to Globalization (Second Edition). (Online). Web.
Trade unions. N.d. Trade unions in the USA. (Online). 2010. Web.
Wolman, L., 1975. The Growth of American Trade Unions. Ayer Publishing. Web. | <urn:uuid:b810590b-1349-4fb6-8288-c2ba6ac823eb> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://nerdytom.com/globalization-and-trade-union-movement-in-the-us/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233508977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20230925115505-20230925145505-00532.warc.gz | en | 0.965999 | 2,287 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Plantopedia: The Definitive Guide to Houseplants
The most beautiful book on plants we've ever seen. Comprehensive and incredibly easy to use; this book is a must have for all plant parents. "Houseplants have the power to transform any room. With their lush foliage and sculptural beauty, they help create indoor oases that bring a sense of tranquility to our lives. Fostering a connection to plants has many positive implications for us and our environment by strengthening our relationship with the natural world.
In Plantopedia, Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan from Leaf Supply present the definitive guide to keeping happy, healthy houseplants in any space. Featuring:
- More than 130 plant profiles including foliage plants, succulents and cacti, as well as rare gems of the plant world.
- Detailed care information including troubleshooting tips and tricks to ensure that your houseplants thrive.
- Plants for all levels of indoor gardeners, from budding novices to green thumbs and beyond." | <urn:uuid:5647c811-0879-4d02-9ab8-5fee1049251d> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://rootadorned.com/products/plantopedia-the-definitive-guide-to-houseplants | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510707.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20230930181852-20230930211852-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.925629 | 211 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Did you know that next to blood, bone is the most transplanted tissue in South Africa?
Worldwide, one in every three women and one in every five men over 50 years old will fracture a bone due to osteoporosis, a progressive disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle. It occurs in one of two ways – either bones lose their density or the body doesn’t make enough bone. Either way, this forms large holes and spaces within bones and makes them easily breakable.
Osteoporosis is not on the Council of Medical Schemes' Chronic Disease List, which means that medical aids won’t cover it from a separate chronic benefit. It can be costly to treat, so rather start caring for your bones as early as possible.
You probably think of your gogo when someone mentions osteoporosis. People often associate the disease with elderly women, but actually, people as young as 25 can be affected.
Because it is a disease, many people think it’s not preventable, but there are a number of ways you can prevent osteoporosis or manage it from the onset.
Nutrition is key to having healthy bones. Calcium and vitamin D are vital for bone health, so it’s important to eat foods rich in these nutrients, like low-fat milk and yoghurt, cheese, egg yolks, spinach, and white beans. Avoid alcohol and smoking as these contribute to bone loss.
Exercise helps to strengthen bones and the muscles around them. Even if you already have osteoporosis, engaging in a suitable exercise regime could reduce your chances of a bone fracture.
Osteoporosis cannot be cured, but the good news is that it can be managed. The first step is to start following a healthy diet and exercise regime.
There are also medications that can help to maintain good bone density, but the different types aren’t suitable for everyone. Some are safe for use only in women, some only for post-menopausal women, and some are for more advanced bone loss.
As with all diseases, it’s important for sufferers and their families to be proactive about their health. If you think you may have osteoporosis, visit your doctor. Also, review your medical aid plan to see what your provider will and will not cover so you’re not left with expensive doctors’ bills. You may want to compare medical aids to see if your current plan sizes up or perhaps find one that is more suited to your needs and budget.
Prices quoted are correct at the time of publishing this article. The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or medical advice. | <urn:uuid:4f293bb8-10ab-40b1-89d4-638f18490d3b> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.hippo.co.za/blog/health/why-your-bone-health-matters/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370509103.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20200402235814-20200403025814-00215.warc.gz | en | 0.961155 | 569 | 3.34375 | 3 |
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Currently, recycled water is pumped to the Doolan Tank where it is stored for irrigation, fire protection, and fire suppression uses. The Livermore Water Reclamation Plant can produce up to 6.0 million gallons per day (MGD) of recycled water. In fiscal year 2005/06, 39.71 million gallons (108,790 gallons/day) were used onsite at the water reclamation plant for irrigation and industrial uses. A total of 243.25 million gallons (666,440 gallons/day) were used for offsite irrigation.
Click to view Recycled Water Rates.
Click to view Water Recycling FAQs
Recycled Water Guidelines
All customers of the City of Livermore Water Reuse Program must comply with program requirements contained in the Guidelines for the Use of Recycled Water. Click on the links below to view the Guidelines.
These resources are PDF files. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download it for free.
| || | | <urn:uuid:78af234e-d45f-439b-af7f-870b4528fefa> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.cityoflivermore.net/citygov/pw/wrd/recycled/default.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163036037/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131716-00026-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.898026 | 210 | 2.625 | 3 |
In the mouth, presenting symptoms include gingival hypertrophy, and ulcers of the soft or hard palate, buccal mucosa, or on the tongue and lips. Hypermobile teeth (floating teeth) and tooth loss may occur.[6,7] Lesions of the oral mucosa may precede evidence of LCH elsewhere.
LCH can occur in any bone of the body, although the hands and feet are often spared. Sites of LCH in children include the following:
- Lytic lesion of the skull: The most frequent site of LCH in children is a lytic lesion of the skull, which may be asymptomatic or painful. It is often surrounded by a soft tissue mass which may impinge on the dura.
- Femur, ribs, humerus, and vertebra: The second most frequently involved skeletal sites are femur, ribs, humerus, and vertebra. Spine lesions may involve any vertebra, although involvement of the cervical vertebrae is most common and spine lesions are frequently associated with other bone lesions. Spine lesions may result in collapse of the vertebral body (vertebra plana). Vertebral lesions with soft tissue extension often present with pain and may present with significant neurologic deficits, an indication for an urgent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
- Orbit: Proptosis from an LCH mass in the orbit mimics rhabdomyosarcomas, neuroblastoma, and benign fatty tumors of the eye.
- Facial bones and anterior or middle cranial fossae: Lesions of the facial bones or anterior or middle cranial fossae (e.g., temporal, sphenoid, ethmoid, zygomatic) with intracranial tumor extension comprise part of a CNS-risk group. These patients have a threefold increased risk for developing diabetes insipidus and an increased risk of other CNS disease.
Lymph nodes and thymus
The cervical nodes are most frequently involved and may be soft- or hard-matted groups with accompanying lymphedema. An enlarged thymus or mediastinal node involvement can mimic lymphoma or an infectious process and may cause asthma-like symptoms. Accordingly, biopsy with culture and histologic examination is mandatory for these presentations.
The posterior part of the pituitary gland can be affected in patients with LCH causing central diabetes insipidus. (Refer to the Endocrine subsection in the Multisystem Disease Presentation section of this summary for more information.) Anterior pituitary involvement often results in growth failure and delayed or precocious puberty.
Thyroid involvement has been reported in LCH. Symptoms include massive thyroid enlargement, hypothyroidism, and respiratory symptoms.
Multisystem Disease Presentation
In multisystem LCH, the disease presents in multiple organs or body systems including bone, abdominal/gastrointestinal system (liver and spleen), lung, bone marrow, endocrine system, CNS, skin, and lymph nodes.
Bone and other organ systems
LCH patients may present with multiple bone lesions as a single site (single-system multifocal bone) or bone lesions with other organ systems involved (multisystem including bone). A review of single-system multifocal bone and multisystem including bone patients treated on the Japanese LCH study (JLSG-02) found patients in the multisystem including bone group were more likely to have lesions in the temporal bone, mastoid/petrous bone, orbit, and zygomatic bone (CNS-risk). Patients with multisystem including bone had a higher incidence of diabetes insipidus, correlating with the higher frequency of lesions in the noted facial bones. There was no difference in the outcome to treatment, which is more intense in the JLSG-02 study compared with the LCH-II study. | <urn:uuid:62975fdd-fba4-42fe-88e2-efb04ead3c4a> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/ncicdr0000600550-presentation-of-lch-in-children?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1408500829661.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20140820021349-00333-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.892602 | 811 | 2.875 | 3 |
From Early School (PreK) through grade 4, we develop a strong foundation for the future with outstanding opportunities to help young minds grow. Our academic amenities are unparalleled.
Through our Science curriculum, students are able to explore the world of science through experiments conducted in our science and math Exploratorium – a combined idea center, discovery room, and teaching lab.
Our Mathematics Program implements the University of Chicago’s renowned curriculum to help students understand the logic and concepts of math.
In our reading, writing, and word study, teachers emphasize conceptual development to stimulate high-level thinking and problem-solving.
Spanish is incorporated in every classroom, Early School through grade four, by a highly trained and creative Spanish instructor. The focus of Spanish is experiential and well connected to target objectives in the grade level curriculum.
We also recognize the importance of maintaining a proper balance between academics and the physical, artistic, social, and emotional needs of a child. Our teachers broaden young perspectives by introducing students to new cultures and traditions through field trips and lively classroom discussions, while a variety of exciting visual arts techniques awaken creativity and encourage self-expression.
Our teachers are immersed in professional development in best practices of teaching reading, math and technology. | <urn:uuid:514643e7-2ad8-408f-a471-b8ac885ce97f> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://prairieschool.com/academics/primary/curriculum/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655882934.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20200703184459-20200703214459-00080.warc.gz | en | 0.930807 | 252 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Education is the primary agent of transformation in the direction of sustainable improvement, growing humans’ capacities to convert their visions for society into reality. Education no longer only affords medical and technical competencies, it also gives the inducement and social support for pursuing and applying them. For this reason, society needs to be deeply worried that tons of modern education fall ways short of what is required. When we say this, it reflects the very necessities throughout the cultures that allow everybody become responsible towards great enhancement.
Improving the first-rate and revelation of education and reorienting its desires to apprehend the significance of sustainable development need to be among society’s maximum priorities. It isn’t always that we communicate best approximately surroundings but also about each aspect of existence.
We, therefore, want to make clear the idea of education for sustainable improvement. It becomes the main mission for educators over the last decade. The meanings of sustainable improvement in educational set ups, an appropriate balance of peace, human rights, citizenship, social fairness, ecological and improvement themes in already overloaded curricula, and methods of integrating the humanities, the social sciences and the humanities into what had up-to-now been seen and practiced as a department of science education.
Some argued that educating for sustainable development ran the danger of programming while others wondered whether or not asking colleges to take a lead in the transition to sustainable development changed into asking too much of instructors.
These debates had been compounded with the aid of the preference of many, predominantly environmental, NGOs to contribute to instructional planning without the considered necessary knowledge of how training structures paintings, how academic trade and innovation takes area, and of applicable curriculum development, professional development and instructive values. Not understanding that powerful educational change takes time, others were vital of governments for now not appearing greater quick.
Consequently, many international, nearby and national projects have contributed to an increased and delicate expertise of the that means of training for sustainable improvement. For instance, Education International, the foremost umbrella institution of teachers’ unions and institutions in the global, has issued an announcement and motion plan to sell sustainable improvement via schooling.
A common time table in all of those is the want for an included technique through which all communities, government entities, collaborate in growing a shared understanding of and dedication to guidelines, strategies, and packages of education for sustainable development.
Actively selling the combination of schooling into sustainable improvement at neighborhood community
In addition, many character governments have installed committees, panels, advisory councils and curriculum improvement projects to discuss schooling for sustainable improvement, expand coverage and suitable guide systems, applications and resources, and fund local tasks.
Indeed, the roots of schooling for sustainable development are firmly planted within the environmental education efforts of such companies. Along with global schooling, improvement training, peace training, citizenship schooling, human rights schooling, and multicultural and anti-racist training that have all been massive, environmental schooling has been especially huge. In its quick thirty-12 months records, present day environmental training has progressively striven toward desires and effects comparable and akin to those inherent in the concept of sustainability.
A New Vision for Education
These many initiatives illustrate that the worldwide community now strongly believes that we need to foster – thru education – the values, conduct and lifestyles required for a sustainable destiny. Education for sustainable development has come to be seen as a process of getting to know the way to make selections that keep in mind the long-term future of the economy, ecology and social properly-being of all groups. Building the potential for such futures-oriented wondering is a key challenge of schooling.
This represents a brand new imaginative and prescient of training, an imaginative and prescient that enables learners better understand the sector in which they live, addressing the complexity and inter-contentedness of issues such as poverty, wasteful consumption, environmental degradation, city decay, populace increase, gender inequality, health, war and the violation of human rights that threaten our future. This imaginative and prescient of education emphasizes a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to developing the understanding and skills wished for a sustainable future in addition to modifications in values, behavior, and existence. This calls for us to reorient training structures, rules, and practices on the way to empower absolutely everyone, old and young, to make choices and act in culturally appropriate and regionally applicable approaches to redress the problems that threaten our commonplace future. We, therefore, need to suppose globally and act locally. In this manner, humans of all ages can become empowered to expand and evaluate opportunity visions of a sustainable future and to meet these visions via working creatively with others.
Seeking sustainable improvement via schooling requires educators to:
• Place an ethic for living sustainably, based totally on principles of social justice, democracy, peace and ecological integrity, on the center of society’s worries.
• Encourage a meeting of disciplines, a linking of know-how and of understanding, to create understandings that are extra incorporated and contextualized.
• Encourage lifelong studying, starting at the beginning of lifestyles and glued in lifestyles – one based on an ardor for an intensive transformation of the ethical individual of society.
• Develop to the most the potential of all human beings in the course of their lives as a way to acquire self-fulfillment and complete self-expression with the collective success of a feasible destiny.
• Value aesthetics, the innovative use of the creativeness, an openness to hazard and versatility, and a willingness to explore new options.
• Encourage new alliances among the State and civil society in promoting residents’ liberation and the practice of democratic principles.
• Mobilize society in an extensive effort a good way to take away poverty and all styles of violence and injustice.
• Encourage a commitment to the values of peace in this kind of way as to promote the advent of latest existence and residing patterns
• Identify and pursue new human tasks in the context of local sustainability within a mundane recognition and a private and communal focus of global duty.
• Create realistic hope wherein the opportunity of alternate and the actual preference for exchange are accompanied by using a rigorous, lively participation in the alternate, at the proper time, in want of a sustainable destiny for all.
These responsibilities emphasize the important thing function of educators as the ambassador of alternate. There are over 60 million instructors inside the global – and everyone is a key ambassador for bringing approximately the modifications in existence and systems that we want. But, training isn’t restrained to the school rooms of formal schooling. As a method to social gaining knowledge of, schooling for sustainable development additionally encompasses the huge variety of getting to know sports in basic and submit-primary schooling, technical and vocational schooling and tertiary schooling, and both non-formal and casual learning by way of each younger people and adults within their households and places of work and inside the wider community. This method that each person has important roles to play as each ‘newbies’ and ‘teachers’ in advancing sustainable development.
Deciding how schooling need to make contributions to sustainable improvement is a prime project. In coming to decisions approximately what procedures to schooling will be locally applicable and culturally suitable, countries, educational establishments and their groups may additionally take heed of the following key lessons learned from discussion and debate about schooling and sustainable improvement over the past decade.
• Education for sustainable development ought to discover the financial, political and social implications of sustainability through encouraging rookies to mirror seriously on their own areas of the arena, to pick out non-feasible elements in their very own lives and to explore the tensions among conflicting objectives. Development strategies perfect to the specific situations of various cultures in the pursuit of shared development dreams can be critical. Educational tactics must keep in mind the stories of indigenous cultures and minorities, acknowledging and facilitating their unique and considerable contributions to the procedure of sustainable improvement.
• The motion closer to sustainable development relies upon greater at the improvement of our ethical sensitivities than at the increase of our scientific expertise – vital as that is. Education for sustainable development can’t be involved most effective with disciplines that improve our understanding of nature, despite their undoubted cost. Success inside the struggle for sustainable improvement calls for an approach to schooling that strengthens our engagement in aid of other values – specifically justice and equity – and the attention that we proportion a not unusual future with others.
• Ethical values are the fundamental issue in social consistency and at the same time, the only agent of alternate and transformation. Ultimately, sustainability will rely on modifications in conduct and lifestyles, modifications with a purpose to need to be stimulated by way of a shift in values and rooted within the cultural and ethical precepts upon which behavior is based totally. Without alternate of this type, even the most enlightened regulation, the cleanest generation, the most state-of-the-art research will no longer achieve guidance society in the direction of the lengthy-time period goal of sustainability.
• Changes in lifestyle will need to be accompanied by using the improvement of an ethical focus, wherein the population of wealthy countries discovers inside their cultures the source of a brand new and energetic team spirit, to be able to make possible to remove the significant poverty that now besets 80% of the world’s populace in addition to the environmental degradation and different troubles related to it.
• Ethical values are fashioned through education, inside the broadest experience of the time period. Education is likewise vital in permitting human beings to apply their ethical values to make knowledgeable and ethical selections. Fundamental social modifications, consisting of those required to transport toward sustainability, come approximately both because humans experience an ethical imperative to exchange or because leaders have the political will to guide in that path and feel that the people will observe them. | <urn:uuid:7727099a-2e57-4b57-99af-ec2ae2292e08> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://myupdatestar.com/immortalizing-values-through-education-for-sustainable-development/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370505359.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20200401003422-20200401033422-00012.warc.gz | en | 0.938436 | 1,969 | 2.96875 | 3 |
The ABCs of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management - Part I
A Better Way to Protect Our Ocean Ecosystems
Over the past 30 years, we've made tremendous scientific gains in understanding how marine ecosystems work while monitoring the impacts of fishing and other extractive activities on the health of our oceans. What's more, the application of new science, along with critical reforms of key laws and regulations, is leading to more effective policies to manage America's ocean fisheries.
Because of these improvements, we are making progress toward ending overfishing in U.S. ocean waters and have one of the most advanced marine resource management programs in the world. Success stories, as I've detailed in previous articles, span our coasts. Atlantic sea scallop, Gulf of Mexico red grouper, and Pacific lingcod are just a few examples of once-depleted U.S. fish populations that have been rebuilt.
Yet too often, federal managers and policymakers approach these issues by considering only one species at a time, rather than looking at the big picture. This approach fails to make use of a wealth of knowledge that scientists have gained in recent decades. We now know, for instance, that fishing for one species can affect the larger marine food web, and as the International Panel on Climate Change reported this week, rising temperatures are another pressure affecting the health of fish populations and their habitats.
We can and must do better. It's time that decision-makers and federal fisheries managers pursue broader policy solutions that will not only help restore individual species but also promote healthy and robust marine ecosystems—an approach known within scientific circles as ecosystem-based fisheries management.
This will require an array of integrated tools and policies that:
- Keep forage fish populations abundant enough to support the larger fish, marine mammals, birds, and other ocean wildlife that depend on them as a food source.
- Protect the habitats that fish depend on for shelter, reproduction, and growth.
- Reduce the incidental catch of nontarget species, a problem known as bycatch.
- Reverse the mindset of “fish first, ask questions later.”
- Ensure that fishery management decisions are guided by ecosystem plans instead of on a single species of fish without regard to the health of other species, their common habitat, or impacts on the broader marine environment.
It will also require support from our nation's leaders to continue the scientific research we need to develop an even better understanding of how fish species relate to one another and to their surrounding marine ecosystems. This will help ensure that management decisions for U.S. fisheries are based on science, not regional or partisan politics, and promote the restoration and maintenance of healthy and resilient ocean ecosystems.
In the coming year, a number of important policy decisions could have a profound impact on the future direction of U.S. fisheries management. They will include a national debateon congressional reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, our nation's primary fisheries law; revisions of national rules that guide fisheries management; and changes to important regional policies that are currently under consideration in fisheries management councils around the country.
To help inform these discussions, I'm kicking off a special series of articles, titled “The ABCs of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management.” It will explore, as the title suggests, the benefits of a broader fisheries management approach that considers the health of marine ecosystems as a whole. I'll conclude by taking a closer look at upcoming fishery policy debates worth watching as 2014 unfolds, and exploring the potential stakes for those who depend upon healthy and vibrant ocean ecosystems as a source of commerce, sustenance, and recreation.
This article originally ran at newswatch.nationalgeographic.com. | <urn:uuid:23c9cdac-7a17-4c85-8f71-c5627801db9c> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/opinion/2014/04/02/the-abcs-of-ecosystem-based-fisheries-management-part-i | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818695113.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170926070351-20170926090351-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.934004 | 760 | 3.265625 | 3 |
September 11, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET):
Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
The field of view in this image is about 29 km (18 mi.) from left to right
North is to the bottom of the image.
In contrast to Monday's image
, not all lobate scarps are large. The example pictured here is much smaller—both in terms of length and relief—than Discovery Rupes, but it too has contributed to the shortening
of Mercury's crust. This scarp cross-cuts an unnamed, 65-km-diameter crater, which is filled with smooth plains
, just north of Mussorgskij crater. Whether this scarp is younger than Discovery Rupes and so has not had as much time to accumulate tectonic deformation, or if instead it did not shorten the crust as much for other reasons, remains as yet unclear.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.
The MESSENGER spacecraft is the first ever to orbit the planet Mercury, and the spacecraft's seven scientific instruments and radio science investigation
are unraveling the history and evolution of the Solar System's innermost planet. During the first two years of orbital operations, MESSENGER acquired over 150,000 images and extensive other data sets. MESSENGER is capable of continuing orbital operations until early 2015.
Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
For information regarding the use of MESSENGER images, see the image use policy. | <urn:uuid:96cf5559-f1c0-426c-9a91-eb6efd52e3a5> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/Explore/Science-Images-Database/gallery-image-1302.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187820700.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20171017033641-20171017053641-00527.warc.gz | en | 0.905376 | 393 | 3.5 | 4 |
Ramadan is one of the most significant month’s in the Muslim calendar. It is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is a time filled with great rewards for Muslims across the world. Along with fasting from sunrise to sunset, Muslims are also encouraged to give a percentage of their wealth to charity.
According to figures from the Charity Commission, Muslims gave around £100million in 2016 during the month of Ramadan and this Ramadan seems to be equally as generous.
There are many great charitable projects that need urgent help, locally, nationally and internationally. One local woman reached out to us, to tell us more about Penny Appeal’s Fragile Lives Project
Samia Aziz, is project manager for Penny Appeal’s Fragile Lives campaign and has been working to support the most fragile and vulnerable mothers and babies in Pakistan and Kenya. Her project Fragile Lives has also been granted UK Aid Match which is a grant from the government whereby every donation is matched pound for pound, up to £2 million. For Penny Appeal, this means every donation for the upcoming Fragile Lives appeal will be DOUBLED, up to £2 million.
Asian Sunday caught up with Samia to find out more about the project
Tell us a little bit about the Fragile Lives project
Fragile Lives is a project which seeks to address some of the most pressing issues regarding maternal, new-born and child health and nutrition across some of the most vulnerable parts of rural Pakistan and Kenya. Reports reveal that Pakistan and Kenya have some of the worst maternal mortality ratios in the world, and Pakistan has recently been declared one of the most dangerous places to be a mother. With 400,000 babies dying before their first birthday each year in Pakistan alone, Penny Appeal has launched this project to provide life-saving medical and nutrition services to help reduce these statistics and tackle the root causes. The project is supported by the UK Government’s Aid Match scheme, which means that every £ we raise will be doubled by the government, enabling us to make double the impact and reach even more people in Pakistan and Kenya.
Why Pakistan and Kenya?
Pakistan and Kenya, and in particular the rural areas where we will be focussing on have some absolutely horrific statistics when it comes to health indicators generally, and especially so with maternal and child health. The number of women needlessly dying in pregnancy or childbirth are among the worst in the world, as is the number of babies dying from preventable causes in the first three months of their lives. We will be working in rural communities that have been facing drought for a number of years, and have major challenges when it comes to poverty, employment, education and access to healthcare services. The communities are based in desert and savannah regions with no infrastructure such as schools or hospitals, as well as poor roads and transport links. This means there is both an absence of vital healthcare facilities with trained doctors and professional staff, as well as challenges in terms of movement and access. Approximately 75% of all infant deaths in Pakistan happen in the first three months of life, and many of those within the first 28 days. They are often from preventable causes such as a lack of immunisation, infection at the time of delivery and malnutrition.
What are the different components of the Fragile Lives project?
In short, Fragile Lives aims to support two main sections of society: mothers and babies, across three major sectors: maternal care, general health and malnutrition. Malnutrition is a major problem in Pakistan, affecting all groups of society in the country, especially children. Approximately 50% of Pakistan’s children are stunted, which means their growth and development is severely affected due to a lack of good nutrition and balance in diet. Malnutrition among babies and children, especially within the first 1,000 days of life have severe consequences for their physical growth as well as their cognitive, emotional and intellectual development, which will affect their opportunities later on in life. We will be delivering screening services across the district of interior Sindh which will enable us to detect malnutrition and health issues among hundreds and thousands of mothers and babies, and be able to refer them to relevant health facilities or enrol them onto a treatment programme.
We will also be working with mothers and traditional birth attendants who currently do not have access to health facilities, and deliver babies at home. Childbirth away from a clean and sanitised hospital environment is very dangerous as the mother becomes prone to infection and disease, and without the support of a trained doctor, a traditional birth attendant is unable to deal with complications. We will be distributing safe delivery kits with clean delivery instruments, baby wraps, towels and sanitary pads, as well as vitamins for the mother. We will be working to offer training to traditional birth attendants to increase their knowledge and capacity, as well as improve their connections with local health facilities so they can encourage women to visit hospitals and clinics for prenatal and antenatal appointments.
We will also be establishing health facilities and training doctors, nurses and counsellors to be able to provide treatment for malnutrition, maternal health services to pregnant women and mothers, and child health services.
What sort of provisions are there already out there for mothers and babies?
In the areas we’re working in, health and nutrition service provisions are extremely rare. Interior Sindh, and Wajir in Kenya are both rural areas with very little infrastructure. Basic, local health facilities are still over an hour’s walk away for most people, and have a limited number of staff and insufficient resources to offer the support necessary. At the district level, and in cities, there are more adequate facilities, however these are several hours away for most people, and the cost of treatment is often too high. This means that for most people in interior Sindh and Wajir, good healthcare for everyone, but in particular mothers and babies, is not easily accessible and too expensive. Without any employment opportunities, people face major challenges in being able to afford good healthcare. The majority of babies are born at home and do not receive quality medical care before or after delivery, which can have major consequences as any illness or issues are not easily detected.
Can you share any experiences from the field?
I visited both project location sites, and was left absolutely devastated. I had visited Pakistan several times as a child and lived there for 2 years of my adult life, so I was aware of the issues and challenges that are being faced in the country. However, this was my first time visiting the district of Sindh, and the first time I was to explore the health situation of the country in any depth. The communities we are seeking to support have very little. The ongoing drought has depleted their food sources, and almost everybody can only eat one meal a day comprised of a basic bread and some red, dry chillies mixed in water. It is no surprise to learn that this region is ravaged by malnutrition, and most of the child deaths happen because of this. I met with many women who had lost babies during pregnancy or difficulties in childbirth. When women are malnourished, their bodies are not strong enough for them to carry full-term and this often results in premature deliveries of under-weight babies, or severe complications during labour which cannot be dealt with effectively without the support of a trained doctor. I met one woman who has lost 5 babies, either as still-born or within the first few days of their precious life. It was absolutely heart-breaking, as their conditions of poverty and a lack of access to health facilities meant they were not able to receive the quality care they needed in a timely fashion.
What is UK Aid Match and how does it work?
UK Aid Match is a match-funding grant from the government, where every time somebody donates to our Fragile Lives appeal, the UK government matches the donation £ for £ up to £2 million. This means every single donation will make double the impact and help us reach even more mothers and babies in Pakistan and Kenya.
What do you hope to achieve with this project?
We know that we will not see drastic changes overnight, but this project carries a lot of hope and potential. Not only will we be working to reduce the devastating statistics we often hear about child and maternal mortality, but we will be working to tackle problems in attitudes around maternal health and child health in the communities we are working in. We will be working with members of the entire community to raise awareness about maternal and child health and the importance of quality medical care, nutrition and maternal health. These things will be difficult to measure, but will over time, cause an increase in the number of people using health services, practicing safe deliveries and attitude and efforts around nutrition. We hope to see a reduction in malnutrition, child mortality and maternal mortality and the occurrence of unsafe, life-threatening home deliveries.
If you wish to donate or find out more then please do look at the Penny Appeal site – https://pennyappeal.org/appeal/fragile-lives | <urn:uuid:a1459a51-dff3-4691-af3c-0f3dae23019c> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://www.asiansunday.co.uk/local-woman-appeals-for-donations-to-support-fragile-and-vulnerable-mothers-and-babies-in-pakistan-and-kenya/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251799918.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20200129133601-20200129163601-00422.warc.gz | en | 0.969796 | 1,834 | 2.609375 | 3 |
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|An accurate map of the West Indies|
The University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries contributes materials to the Digital Library of the Caribbean from their Special Collections & University Archives Department. Most of the materials are from the William J. Bryant West Indies Collection—a scholarly collection of over 1,800 books and periodicals on the history, geography, economy, and social life of the Caribbean Region. The books and the periodicals in the Collection may be found in the UCF Libraries online catalog by searching the series: “West Indies Collection.” In addition to collecting books and periodicals, William J. Bryant was interested in archaeology and collected pottery pieces, bones, stone tools and shells from sites in Florida, the Virgin Islands and the West Indies which resulted in a fine archaeological artifacts collection. Furthermore, there is also an audio collection which contains vinyl record albums and audio cassette tapes, comprising of various genres of music from the Caribbean Islands. These records and cassettes were purchased or collected on trips sponsored by the William L. Bryant Foundation. During these collecting trips, William J. Bryant took over one thousand 35 mm slides of various islands in the Caribbean as well as Florida and Venezuela. The slides within the Bryant Slides Collection are organized by geographical location. The content of the slides vary and include landscapes, religion, houses, people and everyday life. Worth mentioning is the Ephemera Collection, which contains tourism brochures, pamphlets and newspaper clippings that nicely document the islands of the West Indies. Bryant’s interest in archeology fueled his passion for collecting works of art: paintings; graphics; and, sculptures. Selections from the collection can be viewed at: http://library.ucf.edu/SpecialCollections/Exhibits/BryantCollection/
Since the initial acquisition, additional purchases or donations have enhanced this fine West Indies Collection such as the purchase of the West Indies British Parliamentary Acts. This collection represents a sample of British Parliamentary Acts, dating from 1712 till 1813, regarding the British West Indies. The West Indies were colonized by Great Britain beginning in the early seventeenth century, over one hundred years after their initial discovery by Columbus in 1492. The islands were crucial to the triangular trade that developed between Europe, Africa and the British colonies of North America and the Caribbean, especially regarding the exportation of raw materials like sugar. Therefore, the Acts in the collection often address issues of trade, both between the islands and between the islands and Great Britain. The original West Indies Collection also included fine West Indies and Caribbean Islands maps, and as of recently additional purchases of some very scarce maps have been added to the Collection, and contributed to dLOC.
Virtual Exhibit: http://library.ucf.edu/SpecialCollections/Exhibits/Bryant/
Bryant Materials Exhibit, Summer 2009: http://library.ucf.edu/SpecialCollections/Exhibits/BryantSite/Default.html
The UCF Libraries support and contribute to several other related Digital Collections which are listed on their website.
Subscribe to the RSS feed for the University of Central Florida's newest items in dLOC. | <urn:uuid:428946ed-0786-4ac7-816b-508ee2357c1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.dloc.com/iucfdloc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164002922/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133322-00091-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930654 | 685 | 3.359375 | 3 |
Atmel solves fingerprint riddle
- By Michelle Speir
- Aug 18, 2003
Capturing fingerprint images has become one of the most common methods of biometric identification. It's fast, accurate and easy to use. And fingerprint scanners can be integrated into many types of devices — from notebooks to smart-card readers to automated teller machines.
The problem is, as with many other technologies, there are trade-offs. Most fingerprint scanning technologies are difficult to integrate into small devices and require frequent cleaning, but Atmel Corp. has come up with a new solution called FingerChip that promises to solve those problems.
A Little Background
Fingerprints consist of ridges and valleys that contain features called minutiae. Examples of minutiae include Y-shaped junctions and places where ridges end. A fingerprint generally contains 30 to 40 minutiae. Typical fingerprint recognition algorithms convert the minutiae into a template that is saved and encrypted. For security, the fingerprint image itself is never saved.
Fingerprint images can be captured using one of several types of technology, including optical, silicon or thermal.
The oldest method is optical scanning, which is widely used. Most optical scanners use a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) — the same type of device used in digital cameras — to capture the image of a fingertip that is placed on an illuminated plastic or glass platen. The CCD then converts the image into a digital signal.
Optical fingerprint scanners are reliable and inexpensive, but because they are fairly large, they cannot easily be integrated into small devices. And latent prints left on the platen by previous users are a persistent problem because they interfere with accuracy.
Silicon-based scanners use capacitance, or an object's ability to hold an electric charge, to capture fingerprint images. Charge-sensitive pixels in the device distinguish between ridges and valleys, each of which carries a different electric charge. These scanners are small enough to integrate into devices such as notebooks, and the image quality is generally better than that of optical scanners.
Thermal fingerprint recognition employs the same technology used in infrared cameras to measure the differences in temperature between the ridges and the air caught in the valleys. When a finger is initially placed on a thermal scanner, the temperature difference between it and the pixel array in the sensor is large and therefore measurable, so an image is created. But the image disappears quickly; it takes less than one-tenth of a second for the finger and the pixels to reach an equal temperature.
This limitation spurred Atmel to create a unique, patented method of capturing fingerprints called sweeping. Instead of placing and holding the fingertip on a capture window, as is required with the methods outlined above, the fingertip is swept vertically over a small rectangular window that scans it in sections.
The window, or "image zone," is about the width of a fingerprint but only 0.4 millimeters high. Because of its small size, the chip is inexpensive, costing only $5 to $6 each for high-volume production.
The scanning process creates a sequence of horizontal image frames that are reconstructed into one fingerprint image using Atmel's proprietary software.
The scanner is small enough to be integrated into small devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs). In fact, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Compaq iPaq h5400 Pocket PC features an Atmel FingerChip.
Atmel provided us with a sample scanner and demonstration software so we could experience the scanning process. We found it easy to capture a good image on the first try, and the process is extremely fast. All it takes is one quick sweeping motion of the fingertip. Users must be sure to sweep the entire fingertip and apply a small amount of pressure while sweeping.
We were surprised, however, to find that if we held a fingertip on the scanner, it quickly became very hot, to the point of discomfort.
The ultimate test of the FingerChip's success will be time, but considering its small size and low cost, don't be surprised if it starts to make more frequent appearances, especially in small devices such as PDAs and wireless phones. | <urn:uuid:9eadd49d-ec0f-42dd-abf4-aafcc73a16b4> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://fcw.com/articles/2003/08/18/atmel-solves-fingerprint-riddle.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590348492295.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20200604223445-20200605013445-00041.warc.gz | en | 0.939783 | 850 | 3.125 | 3 |
Op-ed originally published on BizCommunity.com:
In understanding political and economic trends, focus groups are one tool that can be used to gauge sentiment in the public sphere and learn more about how cultural and political norms are changing.
Focus groups — carefully planned discussions with a small group of people on a specific topic — are the ideal data collection tool for gathering information on things that are shared or have a public aspect, and we should be using them more effectively, more often.
A focus group is one of many qualitative data collection tools used in applied research and social sciences. The methodology of using focus groups to gather data in evaluations is particularly useful and assists in driving purposeful development.
Polls can err
Shortly after the US elections, an opinion piece on The Guardian’s website discussed how wrong the polls and data were, saying, “Focus groups are the often unfairly derided sibling of polling. What some wrongly dismiss as anecdote is fundamental; they help us understand why people behave as they do and how intensely they feel about an issue. They can enable us to know which questions are most important to ask and why people answer questions in a poll as they do. They help us to understand the emotional connection essential for mobilising voters.”
Discussions moderated by a skilled researcher, who controls the flow of questions and answers, to uncover information and gain insights, help us collect valuable data on group norms, cultural and political expectations and responses to adverts, social programmes, and even political campaigns. Indeed, some people who were using focus groups ahead of the tumultuous US elections were already seeing what could happen.
An article in The Nation shows “Clinton’s own focus groups found that, while ‘electing a woman president is a very strong motivating factor among Hillary Clinton’s most committed supporters,’ overall it was ‘the least effective positive case’ they tested. Voters were most interested in electing the person who would ‘make their own lives better’.”
Aside from helping political analysis, focus group discussions are also useful for problem solving and brainstorming ideas and concepts, through the creation of a team mentality and involving people in decision-making processes.
Benefits of focus groups
There are numerous benefits to using a focus group in qualitative data collection. Some of them are:
- They are quick to conduct as they allow multiple opinions to be heard in a short period.
- They are an ideal form of research in response to emerging events. They are therefore also ideal to assess a mood and support at a particular point in time.
- They can reach hard-to-access, or shy people who may not find it comfortable talking about certain topics individually. Contributing in a group provides a certain degree of anonymity and protection.
They have some limitations too:
- Some individuals may dominate the discussion and quash dissenting opinions.
- Because of the number of individuals involved, information can be shallower than that gathered through individual, one-on-one interviewing.
Training on focus groups
Creative Consulting & Development Works has launched a training series to impart skills and create rich conversations about creative evaluation practices. One of the key components to evaluation methodology is focus group discussions. It will be diving deep into how to plan and conduct focus groups effectively, as one of the methods commonly used in data collection. It will also show participants how to use various other evaluation and research tools to help them in their work.
The Qualitative Data Collection Tools course is being held in Cape Town on 15-16 February and in Pretoria on 22-23 February 2017. | <urn:uuid:80365308-2019-4c6d-b3a6-f51b20d132cd> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://reimagine.digital/training-understanding-focus-groups-value-research/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934807344.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20171124085059-20171124105059-00349.warc.gz | en | 0.96104 | 739 | 3.453125 | 3 |
The financial technology or Fintech has been experiencing a gradual but definite growth over the past few years. The use of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and big data in the Fintech landscape has enabled computer scientists to develop revolutionary systems and process to help banks and financial institutes streamline their processes. This change has primarily been brought on about by the drastic changes in consumer behavior. People are now preferring to shop online, make transactions like bill payments, funds transfers through mobile phones and are making investments in cryptocurrencies instead of buying traditional stocks and securities.
Although the financial services sector has been slow and reluctant to adopt tech-savvy solutions but has come around now since the increase in cybercrimes, online fraud, and credit card fraud. As banks and businesses adopt demand-driven solutions, the FinTech industry experiences an unprecedented rise and shift in innovations. The trends that currently prevail in the FINTECH sector include;
Artificial Intelligence and RPA
The artificial intelligence or AI technology has made waves in every sector and is being used to improve the effectiveness and productiveness of different functions. Nearly every business is making use of automated chatbots that can perform repetitive customer service and business support functions without tiring out. Other applications of AI include fraud detection systems and anti-money laundering software that can perform real time KYC & AML.
RPA or Robotic Process Automation is the use of automated systems to perform repetitive human functions with more accuracy and speed. RPA eliminates any inherent human inefficiencies and can perform mundane repetitive tasks of humans within minutes. They are being used to perform tasks like data entry, creating customer accounts, payroll and making bookkeeping entries. RPA is expected to see more improvements this year as its use cases expand to include a number of different applications.
The Increasing Trend of Mobile Payments
Ever since mobile devices have proliferated the market, consumers are now preferring to make payments through mobile devices. The industry of mobile banking and payments cashed in over a billion dollars in payments per day in 2017 alone. As smartphone companies increase the functionality of mobile devices every year, mobile payments become somewhat of a necessity for consumers. Moreover, as the trend of mobile banking has increased over the years people are able to access financial and payment channels without having to open a bank account.
Mobile payments and banking channels are only expected to progress and made more reliable, productive and effective. Artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies are now being integrated into mobile payment channels. Such tech has also increased the security and efficiency of these systems making them more reliable to use for consumers.
Digital scams and cyber attacks are becoming all too common in the financial services and e-commerce sector. Thus AI is being used to implement cybersecurity measures into banking systems and payment methods. Biometric security solutions are one way to prevent online frauds. The corporate banking sector has been implementing digital verification methods through facial recognition and fingerprint scanning. As most mobile phones nowadays come with such biometric features biometric security is becoming somewhat of a requirement for banks and e-commerce businesses. Such verifications are also a part of KYC or Know Your Customer verification requirements that have been mandated by many governments.
Cloud computing is another hot trend in the Fintech industry nowadays. Nearly 95 percent of businesses are using cloud services in one form or another. As the system of pay as you use services is increasing, cloud computing is saving businesses a large number of expenses for investing in or building an elaborate technological foundation. The scalability offered through cloud computing allows businesses to adjust their tech infrastructure according to their needs.
Such systems have also allowed banks to improve their IT structure as for years they have been dependent upon outdated systems that had huge storage costs and requirements. Cloud storage has moved beyond just storing data over the internet; it now allows businesses to move and outsource their complete IT structure without having to build complex systems and purchase a roomful of servers to store data. | <urn:uuid:666e527b-0d38-4804-a067-d861f77fd561> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.articleoriginal.com/top-4-popular-trends-in-the-fintech-industry-in-2019/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945182.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20230323163125-20230323193125-00630.warc.gz | en | 0.958656 | 801 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the Founder of:
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the founder of Brahmo Samaj. It was started on 20th August, 1828 with the help of Dwarkanath Tagore and other Brahmins of Bengal.
The aim of Brahmo Samaj Movement was to reform the prevailing Brahmanism and began Bengal Renaissance. It is one of the most influential and successful re-formic movement of Hindu Religion.
Founder of other Samaj/Movements:
- Arya Samaj – by Dayanand Saraswati in 10 April 1875 to ‘Civilize the World’
- Prathna Samaj – by Aatma Ram Pandurang in 1867 to ‘make people believe in One God and worship One God’.
- Ram Krishna Mission – by Swami Vivekanand on 1st May 1897. | <urn:uuid:6c19c64f-c884-4d21-8480-6508032ae19b> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://www.edupil.com/question/raja-ram-mohan-roy-was-founder/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818693363.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20170925201601-20170925221601-00051.warc.gz | en | 0.951839 | 187 | 3 | 3 |
It's Time for a Number Line
In this addition activity, 1st graders use the number line to help them add to equations in each equation. Students then write about a number line addition equation.
3 Views 3 Downloads
Grade 1 Supplement Set A3 - Number & Operations: Addition & Subtraction on the Number Line
Hop your way through a mathematical equation with your first grade class as they learn the idea of moving up and down the number line. Adding and subtracting like little frogs is an engaging and clever way to teach/reinforce this concept.
K - 2nd Math CCSS: Adaptable
Numbers to 1000 on a Line or Grid
A series of engaging activities gives second-graders practice with three-digit numbers up to 1000. They examine three hundreds charts, one with numbers 101-200, another with 901-1000, and a third counting by 10 to 1000. Worksheets give...
1st - 3rd Math CCSS: Adaptable
Ten-Frames – A Games Approach to Number Sense
"How can you help students visualize numbers in a way that is compatible with our base-ten number system?" The answer is simple: use ten-frames. Whether they're being used as a part of classroom routines or as instructional tools, this...
K - 3rd Math CCSS: Adaptable
Together in a Line: Collaborative Addition
Partners solve addition equations using counters and number lines, each counting out the number of manipulatives for an addend and then combining their quantities on a single number line to ascertain the sum. They write equations...
K - 1st Math CCSS: Adaptable
Grade 2 Supplement Set D7 - Measurement: Telling Time
Are you tired of your students asking you what time it is? Well, let this be your answer. First graders will enjoy the task of learning to tell time while playing with these hands-on-activities that include a matching game of digital and...
1st Math CCSS: Designed | <urn:uuid:73812fd6-af79-45a1-ac15-70cc06bb343c> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://www.lessonplanet.com/teachers/its-time-for-a-number-line | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187822930.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20171018104813-20171018124813-00742.warc.gz | en | 0.916936 | 417 | 4.09375 | 4 |
What Should You Do?
If you notice excessive panting in your dog, look for signs of immediate distress like coughing, difficulty breathing (dyspnea
), or blue color to the mucus membranes (cyanosis). Be on the alert, too, for other problems, such as fatigue, weight loss, poor appetite, excessive drinking, vomiting, or diarrhea.
If it appears that your pet is panting in response to normal events such as exercise, excitement, heat or fear, remove the stimulation and continue to observe your pet. If panting continues, consult your veterinarian.Some Initial Tests Your Vet May Do
Your veterinarian may recommend one or more of the following diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your pet's panting. Complete blood count and urinalysis. A complete blood count (CBC), biochemical profile, and urinalysis may suggest conditions such as anemia, infection, or diabetes. An arterial blood gas assesses the acid-base status.
X-rays. Your vet may want to x-ray your pet's chest and abdomen to be sure there are no foreign bodies or tumors present in the upper respiratory tract.
Ultrasound. An ultrasound of the heart, chest and abdomen evaluates the size of the organs and detects the presence of fluid or masses.
More Specific Tests
If your vet is unable to make a definitive diagnosis with the initial tests, further tests will be needed.
Endocrine testing. An ACTH stimulation test or thyroid panel may help to rule out hyperadrenocorticism (a disease of the adrenal gland) or an underactive thyroid gland.
An ARAT (acetylcholine receptor antibody titer) test. This test determines the presence of a disease called myasthenia gravis, an immune disorder that affects the muscles. This disease is usually accompanied by weakness, regurgitation, and possibly pneumonia.
A heartworm test. The presence of heartworms in dogs occludes the vessels of the lungs and affects breathing.
Thoracentesis. Occasionally your vet may want to perform a thoracentesis, a procedure to withdraw fluid, air, or tissue from the chest.
Even before a diagnosis is made, your vet will probably treat your pet's symptoms. Initially, he will recommend strict rest and oxygen therapy. But he may also offer other treatments:
If your pet is dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea, he may start IV fluid therapy.
Blood transfusion may be indicated in the presence of severe anemia.
Antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs may be administered for infection or inflammation.
Once the cause of your pet's problem is determined, your vet will prescribe specific treatment. While caring for your pet at home, be sure to administer all prescribed medications. Keep your pet in a cool, stress-free environment, and avoid overexertion. And finally, return for follow-up evaluation as directed by your veterinarian. | <urn:uuid:9423ca03-e2c4-4386-8955-15d311db9d2c> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.petplace.com/dogs/panting-in-dogs-is-it-normal/page2.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010795590/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305091315-00046-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.899455 | 600 | 3.0625 | 3 |
One of the purposes of the book on COVID-19 is to prevent the disease. There are two levels at which action needs to be taken to prevent the spread of the disease. The first is at the individual level. It includes the following four tasks.
- Stay at home always and as much as possible.
- Wear a mask always while going outside and when in contact with others.
- Maintain social distance of 1 metre plus mask or >2 M, always while going outside.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after coming back home and as often as possible. Alternately sanitisers may be used to keep the hands clean. (Those who have been outside for extended periods of time have a full bath when they return home.)
When is it justified to go out of your home?
In an era where staying at home is the recommended norm, what are the reasonable and justifiable reasons or excuses to go out? The word reasonable is stated differently as what is essential, as people should go out as little as possible and only leave home if they have a reasonable excuse.
Well, here are the valid excuses for going out. Shopping for basic necessities is number one. Any medical need, or providing care for a vulnerable person would be number two. Number three would be travel to or from work, but only when it cannot be done from home. Exercise, either alone, or with members of your household would be the fourth and the last one.
Provided enough people wear masks when venturing out in public, it could have a dramatic impact on how quickly the spread of COVID-19 is curtailed, particularly if combined with other measures such as social distancing and hand washing.
Tests on homemade masks have shown they can still significantly reduce the spread of other viral infections such as influenza. They can also help to reduce the dispersal of the virus onto nearby surfaces when people cough.
Why is social distancing necessary?
Social distancing is important because coronavirus spreads when an infected person coughs, small droplets which are packed with the virus are dispersed out into the air. No one knows who is infected and might spread the virus. An infected person’s cough or sneeze is likely to disperse a large number of aerosols with the virus.
If you are close to such a person, you are likely to get a heavy dose of virus, which may make it difficult for the body to control through its natural immunity. There are clear indications that this virus is spread through the air and keeping safe distance is one sure manner of preventing the disease.
If a person without wearing a mask comes near you, you take steps to move away from that person. Keeping safe distance always will preventing contacting the virus.
Washing hands with soap and water
Besides airborne transmission of the virus through droplets containing the virus when someone coughs or sneezes, the hands become the next most important means of transmission by the hands coming in contact with the virus that may have settled on the surface of furniture, books or any other substance.
Therefore, cleaning hands often with soap and water helps to clear the virus. Soap is suggested because the virus has a fatty envelope. This gets cleared only with soap and water. While sanitizers are useful and should be used as often as possible, many poor people cannot afford it, so it is not emphasised here.
This second action is at the government level either at the national level or even at the state or city level in larger countries. There are three major tasks involved at this level.
- Increase rapid testing of the population as much as possible.
- Promote, maintain and monitor contact tracing, self-isolation or quarantine as appropriate.
- Diagnose early and treat those who are likely to become severely ill. Here’s your link to the book. | <urn:uuid:9d1906d8-6c2b-44c2-8fb8-ff7c952bb676> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://rajaratnamabel.blog/2020/10/09/covid-19-how-to-prevent-contracting-the-disease/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296946637.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20230327025922-20230327055922-00592.warc.gz | en | 0.971535 | 796 | 3.171875 | 3 |
In the past several years, infrastructure has become a focus sector in the Indian economy as it is expected to boost overall development. Infrastructure continues to attract attention not only from the government but also from the international financial institutions (IFIs) and private investors.
Infrastructure includes power generation and transmission, highways, ports, bridges, dams, industrial zones, railway freight corridors, inland waterways, mega solar parks, port modernisation and urban infrastructure development, which includes projects related to smart cities, metro rail, housing, water supply and sanitation. To push infrastructure development, the government has announced the implementation of mega infrastructure projects such as smart cities, industrial corridors, freight corridors, waterways, Bharatmala, Sagarmala Programme, etc.
Several national and international agencies have been coming out with regular estimates of investments required for infrastructure development in India. For instance, NITI Aayog estimates that the country would need around $4.5 trillion for its infrastructure by 2040. Global Infrastructure Outlook observes that until 2040, India needs around investments worth USD 4.5 trillion. The International Finance Corporation’s (IFC), Climate-Smart Investment Opportunities in Infrastructure Sectors, estimates that between 2018 to 2030, India needs USD 2.2 trillion. Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that the cost to address India’s infrastructure deficit is around USD 230 billion per year, which if climate-adjusted, will grow to USD 261 billion in 2016-2020. Under the Union Budget 2019-20, Government of India has given a massive push to the infrastructure sector by allocating Rs 4.56 lakh crore (US$ 63.20 billion) for the sector. Similar projections by the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and others.
Among the various institutions and agencies involved in planning and executing programs in the sector include IFIs such as the World Bank, ADB, IFC, AIIB, New Development Bank (NDB). Besides, several bilateral agencies from different countries are also showing keen interest, such as JBIC, JICA, KfW, AFD, USAID, etc.
Apart from the above, a set of recently formed Financial Intermediaries (FIs) are now being used to attract institutional and non-institutional investors in the infrastructure sector in India some of the prominent ones are – National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), India Infrastructure Fund (IIF), India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation Ltd. (TNIFMCL), etc. The national financial institutions are also deeply involved in funding infrastructure projects in the country. These include the Public Sector Banks, LIC, PFC, REC, etc.
In the past few years private investments funds such as – IFC Emerging Asia Fund, AIG Asian Infrastructure Fund, AIF Capital’s Asian Infrastructure Fund I and pension systems of countries such as Canada, US, Sweden, India, etc. have increased the focus of their investments in the Indian infrastructure sector. According to a recent IJGlobal report, 36 active funds are focusing on India primarily and have targeted investment of $90 billion of capital. For investment, the country depends on investment funds from inter-governmental cooperation, as well as private capital.
The report further says that Global Infrastructure Partners, a global private investment firm, has confirmed in January 2019 that it was launching an India-focused infrastructure fund. Similarly, Actis, a private investor in emerging markets and based in London, is looking to grow its presence in the country by creating a new company to house its operational renewable energy assets in India. Canadian pensions manager CDPQ bought a 40% stake in power generation company Chinese Light and Power India in September 2018. Its portfolio is a mix of renewable and convention power assets with a total generating capacity of 2.95GW. Further, the UAE-India Infrastructure Investment Fund is a $75 billion partnership between the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund and NIIF. India is working with Russia, the UK, Japan and other major developed countries on similar investment vehicles.
Continuing with NIIF for now as an example will broadly give an idea about some of the current trends in investments and the intertwining of private and public funds in the infrastructure sector. NIIF has been created to foster investment in the infrastructure sector in India. The Government of India will take a 49% stake in NIIF, and aims to raise additional capital from long term investors, such as sovereign wealth funds, insurance and pension funds, endowments, and other private investors. The fund will use sector-specific platform companies as primary investment vehicles in partnership with a limited number of financial investors.
NIIF manages three funds –
- NIIF Master Fund – approx. US$ 5.6 billion
- NIIF Fund of Funds – approx. US$ 2.5 billion (AIIB US$ 200 million investment)
- NIIF Strategic Investment Fund – US$ 2 billion target
NIIF has recently announced in 2019 that two institutional investors have agreed to invest up to $1 billion each, it’s Master Fund reaches its third close. Australia’s largest superannuation fund by member assets, AustralianSuper, and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) – Canada’s largest single-profession pension plan – have signed commitments of $250 million each in the Master Fund and co-investment rights of up to $750 million each in future opportunities alongside the fund.
Singapore government-owned investment company Temasek has committed up to US$ 400 million to NIIF.
NIIF Master Fund includes –
- India Government – 49% of Rs 400 billion (US$ 5.6 billion) target or Rs 200 billion
- Abu Dhabi Investment Authority – US$ 1 billion
- AustralianSuper – US$ 1 billion
- OTPP – US$ 1 billion
- Temasek – US$ 400 million
- Axis Bank
- Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC Group)
- ICICI Bank
- Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance
With this third close, NIIF Master Fund is the largest infrastructure fund in India with assets under management of more than US$ 1.8 billion and a co-investment pool of US$ 2.5 billion. It involves investing in equity and equity-like securities in core infrastructure sectors in India, with a focus on transport, energy and urban infrastructure and has a life span of 15 years.
NIIF Strategic Investment Fund has a US$ 2 billion target. Its first investment was its acquisition of a 58.89% equity stake in IDFC Infrastructure Finance, a private infrastructure debt fund. IDFC IFL invests in operating projects with at least one year of satisfactory commercial operations in power transmission, renewables, roads, social infrastructure, telecom towers.
NIIF, along with EverSource are going ahead with an investment in Ayana Renewable Power. EverSource – a JV between Lightsource BP and Everstone Group and Ayana, is a renewables platform backed by CDC, the UK’s development finance institution.
NIIF and the sovereign fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) are negotiating to jointly buy a 49% shareholding in the airports holding company of GVK Power & Infrastructure. GVK Power & Infrastructure intends to use the proceeds towards retiring debt obligations. The company initiated this equity sale process to raise capital to reduce debt obligations of up to Rs 57.5 billion (US$ 828 million). GVK Airport Holdings manages and operates the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai and has won the mandate to build and operate the new airport at Navi Mumbai. GVK Airport Holdings owns a 74% stake in the concessionaire.
IIFCL one of the other major FI is also moving quickly to increase investments in the Indian infrastructure sector. Its Annual Report for 2018-19 notes that during 2017-18, the company made incremental gross sanctions of Rs 3,609 Crore under direct lending. The cumulative gross sanctions under direct lending stand at Rs 81,040 Crore to 459 infrastructure projects at the end of March 2018. As on 31st March 2018, out of 357 net sanction projects under direct lending, 331 projects, i.e. 93 per cent have achieved financial closure.
IIFCL’s wholly-owned subsidiary in London, IIFC (UK) has made cumulative loan sanctions of USD 3.84 billion and cumulative disbursements of USD 1.99 billion till March 2018. IIFCL Asset Management Company Limited (IAMCL), another wholly-owned subsidiary of IIFCL, closed its IDF Series II AAA IDF-MF rated scheme with six institutional investors with a fund size of Rs 200 Crore in April 2017. IAMCL has also obtained approval to launch an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) dedicated for Investment in debt instruments/securitized debt instruments of renewable energy, water sector and other sectors as per Green Bond principles.
IIFCL Projects Limited (IPL), the third subsidiary of IIFCL, is looking to provide services including infrastructure advisory, financial advisory, transaction advisory, project structuring, appraisal, etc. In 2018-19, IPL was awarded a consultancy and transaction advisory mandate by Himachal Pradesh Infrastructure Development Board (HPIDB) for setting up solid waste processing and disposal facility in seven clusters in the state of Himachal Pradesh. IPL is assisting OUIDF (Odisha Urban Infrastructure Development Fund) in Project Development & Appraisal with all the ULBs in Odisha for the fourth year in running. IPL bagged repeat mandates from large renewable energy developers like Skeiron Renewables and Jindal Urban Infrastructure limited for appraisal and syndication. Ministry of Shipping (MOS) continues engagement with IPL for its programme Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL).
IIFCL has committed lines of credit to the extent of ADB (USD 1.6 billion), World Bank (USD 195 million), European Investment Bank (EIB) (Euro 50 million) and KfW (Euro 200 million). The Euro 50 million line of credit from KfW has been fully availed for investments in two hydropower projects and three solar power projects. IIFCL had also executed a Financing Contract agreement with EIB on 31st March 2014 and has been fully utilized by drawing Euro 200 million as on March 2017. A line of credit of JPY 50 billion has been signed with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from which JPY 1 billion has been drawn as on 31st March 2018. A further line of credit from ADB of USD 300 million and EIB of Euro 200 million has also been sanctioned as on 31st March 2018.
The brief examples of these two major FIs show the links with large institutional financiers, financial trends and the new mechanisms being used to fund the infrastructure projects in the country. The amount of funds targeted and raised by these FIs indicate the interest they have been able to generate from financial institutions to use these intermediaries to invest in such projects. It can also be seen that these financial institutions have been able to blur the lines between the public and private funds as these have been intricately interwoven and are then further used to fund projects through various subsidiaries or platform or sectoral companies. The funders include not only the IFIs, but also pension funds, sovereign funds, banks, bi-lateral agencies, etc. It appears that almost all of the funds raised by these agencies are being used to invest in infrastructure projects implemented by private companies. The lack of mechanisms and policies of FIs to protect the environmental and social aspects is a serious concern as well. | <urn:uuid:c5594cd3-5620-41b5-9299-154e25b180d0> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.cenfa.org/private-finance-in-infrastructure-development-in-india/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224650264.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20230604193207-20230604223207-00182.warc.gz | en | 0.928206 | 2,727 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Yesterday, four places in the Northeast saw record high temperatures, two in New York and two in Massachusetts. Over the past week, the number of record temperatures was much higher, spread throughout western New York and into Rhode Island. That’s because, in the Northeast, late fall is the new late summer. And winter is the new fall.
According to scientists from the University of Massachusetts, that pessimistic assessment will probably be accurate for the region by 2070. From the press release:
A new high-resolution climate study by University of Massachusetts Amherst climate scientists, the first to apply regional climate models to examine likely near-term changes in temperature and precipitation across the Northeast United States, suggests temperatures are going to be significantly warmer in all seasons in the next 30 years, especially in winter. Also, they project that winters will be wetter, with more rain likely than snow. …
Overall, the researchers say the region is projected to warm by some 2 to 3 degrees C by mid century, with local changes approaching 3.5 degrees C in winter. Precipitation will go up as well, particularly in winter, but again not uniformly across the Northeast. …
“The only clear signal of change for precipitation is noted in winter, which appears to be heading toward wetter conditions, consistent with current trends,” [Michael Rawlins of the Climate System Research Center] says. Winter precipitation is projected to rise significantly above natural weather variability, around 12 to 15 percent greater from southwest Pennsylvania to northern Maine, with the exception of coastal areas, where projected increases are lower.
“But we shouldn’t expect more total seasonal snowfall,” he adds. “Combined with the model-projected temperature trends, much of the increase will occur as rain. We’re losing the snow season. It is contracting, with more rain in early and late winter.”
Having grown up in the Snow Belt — a region that traditionally gets massive lake-effect snowfall during the winter — I just want to say: That sucks.
Here is how the researchers think temperatures and precipitation will change. Both diagrams break down change by season, comparing a 1971-2000 baseline to 2041-2070.
Winter in much of New York state could be as much as 3 degrees C warmer. Meaning a 50-degree F day is now 55.5 degrees.
And across the entire Northeast: 14 percent more precipitation.
When I was a little kid, the city where I grew up was blanketed in a massive blizzard. That was 1977. One hundred years later, such a thing may be unheard of, in a region that might as well be renamed “the Rain Belt.”
- Assessment of regional climate model simulation estimates over the northeast United States , Journal of Geophysical Research | <urn:uuid:7eb72497-afc4-4808-bd25-acecbc66fe4e> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://grist.org/news/forecast-for-the-northeast-by-2070-much-warmer-much-rainier-winters/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886106367.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170820092918-20170820112918-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.950235 | 577 | 3.03125 | 3 |
In the United States the end of World War II was followed by an uneasy transition from war to a peacetime economy. President
Truman was faced with the renewal of labor disputes that had remained in a dormant state during the war years, severe shortages
in housing and consumer products, and widespread dissatisfaction with inflation, which at one point rose by 6% in a single
month. In this polarized environment, a wave of strikes destabilized major industries, and Truman's response to them was generally
seen as ineffective. In the spring of 1946, a national railway strike, which had never happened in the country, led virtually
all passengers and their luggage to remain at a standstill for over a month. When the railway workers and coal miners turned
down a proposed settlement, Truman seized control of the railways and threatened to deal with the issue of striking workers
with use of the armed forces. While delivering a speech before Congress requesting authority for this plan, Truman received
the news that the strike had been settled.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. | <urn:uuid:02e1f967-b384-439c-91aa-4639a14e1989> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8wd4130/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370490497.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20200328074047-20200328104047-00558.warc.gz | en | 0.96927 | 268 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Soldiers' Records: War of 1812 - World War I
Abstract of Wars & Military Engagements: War of 1812 through World War I
The following provides an abstract of each war or military engagement represented in the Soldiers' Records. While many of the wars are well-known, such as the Mexican War or World War I, others are peculiarly Missourian, including the 1836 Heatherly War, the 1838 Mormon War, and the 1839 Iowa (Honey) War. Each summary includes a short description of events leading up to the military action. Entries for the Civil War and World War I include additional web-based resources that may be consulted.
War of 1812
Just a few decades after the American Revolution, the United States again fought the British in a demand for neutral rights.
The War of 1812 was a serious threat to settlements along the Missouri River corridor. Indian attacks, primarily the work of the Sac and Fox tribes that were instigated by the British, encouraged Missourians to take up arms in the war. The British outposts supplied Indian tribes with guns and ammunition, causing trouble on the Missouri frontier. The attacks were in response to western land hunger. The constant pressure on the federal government to open new lands for American settlers repeatedly forced or persuaded Native American tribes to sign treaties giving over more of their land each year.
Missouri territorial officials organized and raised several companies of rangers. There were no major battles in the territory. Fighting was characterized by a series of Indian raids, skirmishes, and atrocities. Almost all of these took place in the areas north of the Missouri River, either in the Boon's Lick region or along the Missouri and upper Mississippi rivers. During this period, there were two federal forts in Missouri Territory: Fort Bellefontaine and Fort Osage.
The Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812, was signed on Christmas Day in 1814. By 1816, significant Indian resistance to white settlers in Missouri was at an end.
Black Hawk War, 1832
The origin of this war dates back to 1804, when a band of Sac Indians wintered at St. Louis. That particular band of Missouri River Sacs agreed to sign over all claims to territory in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. The rest of the tribe did not support the agreement, and the tribe split.
Unrest and other land disputes led to the Black Hawk War, when the Sac nation refused to comply with the 1804 agreement. The war was fought under the leadership of Black Hawk, a Sac warrior. He and his followers refused to move from lands around Rock River, Illinois, that had been transferred to the United States by treaty; around 1831, they began raids on nearby white settlements. The governor of Illinois finally called out his troops and Missouri joined in, fearing the warring tribes might cross the river into Missouri. In the spring of 1832, Governor Miller ordered 2000 mounted volunteers to be raised and held in readiness. Two companies patrolled the area between the Des Moines River and the Chariton River in Missouri, and a similar force guarded the western border. The Indians were defeated, however, and their leader Black Hawk captured, before Missouri troops saw service. Black Hawk was imprisoned in Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis for a period.
Heatherly War, 1836
In June 1836, the Heatherly gang, an infamous family living near the Grand River in northwestern Missouri, attempted to sell whiskey to the Potawatomies, a tribe immigrating to new homes west of the Missouri River. The Native Americans refused to buy the whiskey. The gang then stole some of their horses, instead. The Potawatomies pursued the horse thieves and were fired upon when they reached the Heatherly camp; two of the gang were killed. In a cover-up, the Heatherlys then went to the settlements, raising an alarm that thousands of Indians were in the country murdering and robbing. They also claimed that the tribes had killed white men in the Upper Grand River country. Governor Daniel Dunklin sent 200 militiamen to the area with orders to expel all Native Americans from the state. A federal investigation determined that white men preying upon a friendly Native American tribe had provoked the incident and there was no cause for the panic. The militia disbanded. The members of the Heatherly gang were later apprehended.
Seminole War, 1837
The Seminole Indians' refusal to move out of Florida and west of the Mississippi River launched the Seminole War. United States troops were sent to carry out the order, but the tribe successfully defied the federal government. The United States government asked Missouri to furnish troops to fight the Seminole Indians in Florida, requesting two regiments of mounted volunteers, a total of 600 men. U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton stated, "Missourians will go wherever their services are needed."
Colonel Richard Gentry and his troops departed for Florida in October 1837. The first regiment consisted primarily of Boone County residents, although there were also volunteers from Callaway, Chariton, Ray, Howard, and Jackson counties. Four companies of a second regiment were enlisted and attached to the first; two of the companies were composed of men from the Delaware and Osage tribes, who served as scouts and spies. From Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, the group sailed down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, then crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Tampa Bay. The regiments arrived in Florida on November 15; then, they marched through swamps to Lake Okeechobee. The Battle of Okeechobee began on Christmas Day in 1837. About 138 soldiers, mostly Missourians and including Colonel Gentry, were killed or wounded in that battle, which saw the Seminole tribe driven back. Missouri troops returned home in early 1838 and disbanded. Later reports of the cowardice of the Missouri troops at the Battle of Okeechobee stirred controversy and resulted in a federal investigation.
Osage War, 1837
The Osage War in southwestern Missouri occurred when the last remaining Osage Indians refused to move west in 1837. Militia units drove hunting parties of the Osage, Shawnee, and Delaware into Kansas and Arkansas, ending the tribes' hunting expeditions into Missouri.
Mormon War, 1838
The 1830s brought a time of religious conflict to Missouri when western Missouri counties swelled with Mormon migration. In 1831, the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation from God identifying Jackson County as the location of Christ's return. In obedience to God's word the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (as the church later came to be known) set about forming a communitarian settlement they named Far West. Mormon clannishness and rapidly rising numbers, however, frightened non-members who believed they would soon be pushed off their land. Eventually, the "old settlers," as they styled themselves, attacked and drove "the Saints" into Clay County, where the local citizens received them sympathetically for what they believed would be a temporary stay. When it became obvious that a permanent Mormon community seemed likely, the troubles began again. Clay County citizens requested removal of the Mormons in 1836. In response, the state legislature created Daviess and Caldwell counties, with the understanding by many that the Mormons would settle in Caldwell County. Mormon settlers, however, felt no such obligation and members soon spread to Carroll, Clinton, Daviess, Chariton, and Livingston counties. Distrust, fear, and soon fiery rhetoric on both sides again emerged. Eventually, open warfare, including raids and individual acts of violence, broke out between the Mormons and non-Mormon neighbors. Governor Lilburn Boggs called the militia to settle the problem. He also issued Executive Order No. 44, of doubtful legality, it declared, "The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for public peace..." Under duress, the Mormons signed away their Missouri property and organized a move to Illinois.
Iowa (or Honey) War, 1839
Although Missouri became a state in 1821, the northern boundary was never properly and legally surveyed. When the territory of Iowa was subsequently created, the southern boundary was simply defined as Missouri's northern boundary, setting up potential for the later conflict. To settle the situation, Congress authorized a joint commission to survey the Missouri/Iowa line. In the 1838 report, four lines were designated as being possible boundary lines, according to the phrasing of the 1820 Missouri boundary delineated by the United States Congress.
The boundary between Missouri and the Iowa Territory soon came into dispute. Governor Lilburn Boggs ordered all officials of Missouri's northern counties to execute the laws of the state up to the northernmost designated line, using the militia if necessary. At the same time, Iowa's Governor Robert Lucas warned Missouri officials to stay out of the disputed border area. Local officials were caught in between, as was a Missouri man who cut three bee trees in the undecided border area. An Iowa territorial court issued a $1.50 fine to the man. To defend Missouri's territorial rights, Governor Boggs called out nearly 800 militiamen from Clark, Knox, and Lewis counties to assemble in Clark County. He rebuffed Governor Lucas' suggestion to let Congress establish the line, leading Lucas to then call out the Iowa militia. After a month's standoff, a committee comprised of men from both militia groups convened and arbitrated a settlement requesting the two governors to submit the boundary question to Congress and suspend military operations. A judicial settlement finally established the boundary in January 1851.
Mexican War, 1846-1848
Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. The United States quickly recognized the Republic of Texas, but did not admit Texas as a state, due to controversy over slavery expansion. By 1844, though, annexation negotiations began, despite fear of war with Mexico over the issue. Texas was formally admitted to the Union in December 1845. Skirmishes began in the spring of 1846 between General Zachary Taylor's troops, stationed on a disputed strip of land between the Rio Grande and the Nueces rivers, and Mexican troops gathering at the border, intending to invade Texas. In April 1846, the Mexican government declared war; the United States Congress passed a war resolution on May 11, 1846, authorizing the president to call up 50,000 troops and appropriating $10 million for the war effort.
General E.P. Gaines, the officer in charge at New Orleans, feared an imminent Mexican invasion and requested troops from western states. Missouri sent 650 volunteers, but since Gaines was not authorized to raise the troops, his order was overruled and the men sent home. This regiment was known as the "St. Louis Legion." Governor John C. Edwards officially called for volunteers in May 1846; over 1,350 Missourians answered. Eight mounted companies were formed, each consisting of 856 men. Jackson, Lafayette, Clay, Saline, Franklin, Cole, Howard, and Callaway counties each fostered one company, known respectively as Companies A through H.
Men from Cole and Platte counties made up a battalion of infantry numbering 145 men; St. Louis provided a battalion of light artillery of two companies (250 men). These troops, and the First Dragoons of the U.S. Army, made up the Army of the West, serving under General Stephen W. Kearny. Colonel Alexander Doniphan was selected as second in command. After Kearny turned west toward California, Doniphan led the troops to play a major role in several victories in northern Mexico.
Missouri also furnished other troops, including the Second Missouri Mounted Volunteers and a separate battalion of mounted troops. They arrived in Mexico in September 1846 and were followed in July 1847 by the Third Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers.
Southwest Expedition (Kansas-Missouri Border Troubles), 1860
During the antebellum period, many Missourians advocated for the organization of the territory west of the state's border. The land, home to many Native American tribes, was fertile and undeveloped. More importantly to Missouri, as a slave state, was the possibility of sharing a border with a territory that allowed slaves, thus protecting and defending their own interests in that institution.
President Franklin Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act on May 31, 1854. The act organized the land west of Missouri into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska, with the provision that popular sovereignty would determine if the territories were slave or free.
That act set the stage for a decade of border warfare. Missourians from the western counties began by raiding Kansas's territorial elections, attempting to establish a pro-slavery government through illegal voting and violence. Finally, in October 1857, with federal troop protection, a legal free-territory government was established; in January 1861, Kansas was admitted as a free state.
From the spring of 1858 through December of 1860, western Missourians suffered many depredations from Kansas invaders, referred to as "jayhawkers." The attacks were in retaliation for offenses inflicted on Kansans by aggressive bands of "border ruffians" from Missouri. Vehemently opposed to slavery, the jayhawkers engaged in acts ranging from looting to murder.
In February 1859, the Missouri state legislature appropriated $30,000 to suppress the troubles in western Missouri and bring the jayhawkers to justice. That April, Governor Robert Stewart instructed the state's attorney general to organize militia companies in Bates and Cass counties. There was a brief cessation of hostility during the spring and summer of 1859; James Montgomery, the Kansas guerrilla leader, and his forces were scattered.
Governor Stewart received calls for aid and protection along the border during 1860, as sporadic violence continued. The hostility only heightened with the election of President Abraham Lincoln. In late November, Stewart sent a body of troops from St. Louis and Jefferson City to Vernon County to suppress Montgomery's increased activities. The force was known as the Southwest Expedition, commanded by Brigadier-General Daniel M. Frost. Order was somewhat restored by December, but the border turmoil continued throughout the Civil War.
Civil War, 1861-1865
The deepening sectional crisis between northern and southern states over the expansion of slavery erupted into open warfare on April 12, 1861, when the South fired upon federal troops at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor. Secession for Missouri was the major question at a specially-called state convention held in St. Louis that spring. Pro-Union candidates dominated the convention; no declared secessionist was even elected as a delegate. The convention delegates voted to keep Missouri in the Union. Missourians themselves, though, remained split on the issues of slavery and state's rights throughout the war.
After the war began, Lincoln asked the states' governors for 75,000 men to defend the Union; he specifically requested four Missouri regiments. Missouri's governor, the pro-Southern Claiborne Fox Jackson, refused, claiming the requisition of soldiers was unconstitutional. Learning of Jackson's refusal to provide troops for federal service, staunch Unionist Frank Blair, whose family was influential in St. Louis and Washington, D.C., offered a pro-Union group of volunteers, known as the "Wide-Awakes." These units were known as the Home Guards; formation of such groups was encouraged across the state.
Jackson called for a special legislature to convene in Jefferson City in early May 1861, with the idea of obtaining legislative approval to adequately arm state militia forces. He also hoped to move against the federal arsenal in St. Louis. Jackson called up 50,000 Missouri men to enroll in the new state guard, designed to resist the federal occupation of Missouri. Struggling to keep Missouri neutral, Blair and Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon met with Jackson in St. Louis to negotiate the role of state and federal troops in the state. However, the peace negotiations broke down. When Lyon marched on Jefferson City, Jackson and his "army" fled to Boonville, leaving the capital city in Lyon's possession on June 15, 1861.
Less than two months later, the two opposing forces met in the second major clash of the war after Bull Run. For over six hours, the two sides clashed at Wilson's Creek, just southwest of Springfield, until the federal troops were forced to retreat, leaving southwestern Missouri in Confederate hands for six months. More than 540 men were killed and over 1600 wounded. In March 1862, at the Battle of Pea Ridge ( Arkansas ), the Union Army forced the Confederates to retreat, removing Jackson's state guard from Missouri. The Battle of Pea Ridge effectively ended the threat of Confederate military control in Missouri for the duration of the war. Jackson's general, Sterling Price, commander of the state guard, was forced to retreat from the state; he took his remaining soldiers to join the Confederate troops in battles east of the Mississippi River. After Pea Ridge, the Confederate government transferred its major forces to the eastern theater, which it considered more important to the war effort. Union troops were also primarily reassigned to the east, in accord with Governor Gamble's request to keep federal troops out of Missouri. Union strategy supported this request, which it hoped would neutralize hostility in Missouri.
Missouri, however, was militarily strategic because of the necessity of maintaining communication and transportation via the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The federal government recruited soldiers in Missouri and established garrisons at St. Louis, Rolla, Boonville, Hermann, Jefferson City, and Bird's Point in the Bootheel. The major battles in the state ended after Wilson's Creek, but the remainder of the war in Missouri saw frequent bushwhacking activities and violent skirmishes.
In November 1861, Hamilton Gamble, serving as provisional governor after Jackson fled the state, sought permission to organize a new state guard. Lincoln authorized the organization of the Missouri State Militia (M.S.M.) to cooperate with the federal troops in maintaining order within the state. The M.S.M. was armed, equipped, and clothed at the expense of the federal government, but could only be used within the state, except for cases where immediate defense of the state was necessary. State officials mustered in the troops; later, federal officers mustered them out. About 10,000 men served in the M.S.M.
A second, larger and more encompassing military organization was developed in Missouri in the summer of 1862. The Enrolled Missouri Militia (E.M.M.) was organized for state service, but served periodically under United States officers. The E.M.M. was Gamble's response to guerilla warfare throughout the state. Its primary duty was to halt guerilla activity and defend peaceable citizens. All able-bodied men capable of bearing arms were required to enroll at the nearest military post, where they were organized into companies, regiments, and brigades. There was a $10 fine for failure to enroll; it was possible to procure exemption for one year by paying a fee. The total aggregate strength was around 52,000 men. The commander of the M.S.M., who was also the U.S. commander for the military district of Missouri, was in charge of the E.M.M.
Disloyal men had to enroll their name and surrender all arms, but they were permitted to return peaceably to their homes, after promising not to engage in outlaw activity.
In all, 109,000 Missouri men served the Union, while 30,000 fought with the Confederacy. These numbers account for 60% of the men eligible for military service. Over 14,000 died for the Union; unfortunately, there are no figures available for Missouri's Confederate dead. The state's soldiers fought at Vicksburg, Shiloh, Corinth, Chickamauga, and hundreds of skirmishes throughout the war.
Civil War Provost Marshal Index Database
Provost Marshal records contain thousands of pages of documents detailing the way the provost marshal affected the lives of Missouri citizens who came into contact with the Union Army. This database is an index to the microfilm of the Union Provost Marshal's File of Papers Relating to Individual Citizens.
Civil War Refugees in the Ozarks: Some basic sources for genealogists and Historians
Spanish-American War, 1898
Reports of Spanish brutality in Cuba led many Missourians to support a war with Spain in 1898. The sinking of the battleship Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, only strengthened the support, as cries of "Remember the Maine!" echoed across the country and jingoistic politicians and yellow journalists urged a free Cuba.
On April 25, the United States Congress declared war on Spain. Missouri was asked to provide five regiments of infantry and one battery of light artillery. Inadequate appropriations made it difficult to camp, feed, clothe, and equip the men. Governor Lon Stephens' determination to be fiscally responsible left the soldiers with leaky tents, insufficient bedding, and worn-out uniforms before the official call to mobilize. However, because the war lasted less than four months, none of these state troops saw action. Battery A of light artillery was sent to Puerto Rico as part of the First Army Corps, but arrived as the armistice was being announced. The Sixth Volunteer Regiment, organized after President William McKinley's second call for troops, arrived in Havana in December to assist with the occupation of Cuba, and served there for three months.
Over 8000 Missourians served in the state's National Guard; none were killed in enemy action, although there were many deaths from accidents and disease. Approximately 3500 Missourians volunteered in the regular armed forces; over half enlisted in the Army.
Individual Missourians in the regular Army and Navy saw action, though, in Cuba and the Philippines at San Juan Hill and Manila Bay, respectively. Several companies of an African American regiment, known as the "Seventh Regiment of Immunes," were raised in Missouri and sent to Georgia for training before being mustered out in February 1899. Some Missouri women who volunteered for nursing service were sent to Santiago. Over $500,000 worth of Missouri mules and horses were purchased for Army use.
World War I, 1917-1918
In April 1917, the United States entered World War I. Over 1300 Missourians joined the regular Army by April 24, 1917. More than 2400 men volunteered as seamen and naval gunners, rapidly meeting the state's quota. The Selective Service Act, passed by Congress on May 18, 1917, required the nationwide registration of all men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one. In Missouri, over 760,000 men registered; many did not pass the physical examination, while others were exempted for work in vital war industries.
Among the first Missourians to head to the front lines were those who traveled to France to set up base hospitals, such as the Base Hospital Unit No. 21 staffed by St. Louis' Barnes Hospital, or joined the American Ambulance Field Service. There was also at least one engineering regiment comprised primarily of St. Louis railroad and construction workers who labored to build and repair French railways.
Before the armistice was signed, 30,780 Missourians volunteered in the regular Army; 14,132 enlisted in the Navy; and 3721 joined the Marines. General John J. Pershing, a native of Linn County, served as commander of the American Expeditionary Force.
The first draftees from Missouri joined with six other mid-western and southwestern states to form the "Fighting 89 th Division." In addition, Missouri African-Americans served in black infantry units in France, particularly the 92nd and the 93rd divisions. Over 9000 black Missourians were inducted into the armed forces.
The Missouri National Guard was mustered into federal service on August 15, 1917. After two months training at Camp Clark, south of Nevada, Missouri, more than 14,000 men combined with the Kansas guard unit to form the "Brave 35th Division," of which Harry Truman was part. The "Brave 35th" arrived in France on May 17, 1918. Missourians were also part of the Forty-second (Rainbow) Division, which included National Guard units from twenty-six states; it arrived in France in November 1917.
By the war's end, over 156,000 Missourians had served in the armed forces; about half of these men served overseas. There were 11,172 casualties. Five Missouri soldiers received the Congressional Medal of Honor. | <urn:uuid:cbd9c913-450c-4609-b249-4d6afebd97e2> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/soldiers/abstract.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886112539.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822181825-20170822201825-00256.warc.gz | en | 0.971867 | 5,043 | 3.546875 | 4 |
A developing fetus depends on its mother for nutrition. If the mother suffers from vitamin deficiency, so will her baby. In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark and the University of Queensland in Australia looked at the effects of prenatal vitamin D deficiency on the risk of developing schizophrenia later in life. They measured the vitamin D status of babies born in Denmark from 1981 to 2000 using systematically collected newborn dried blood spots.
The researchers reported that babies born with low levels of vitamin D were 44 percent more likely to develop schizophrenia in early adulthood. Moreover, this deficiency in newborns accounts for almost 8 percent of all schizophrenia cases in Denmark. They hypothesized that pregnant women in Denmark tend to be deficient in vitamin D due to a lack of sun exposure during the winter months. The researchers advised soon-to-be mothers to ensure that they have enough vitamin D to prevent their babies from having a high risk and to help reduce the cases of schizophrenia.
Another study examined the effect of vitamin D deficiency on the incidence of depression among the elderly. Researchers from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland studied nearly 4,000 community-dwelling people aged 50 years and above. They measured the participants' vitamin D levels and depression at the beginning of the study and at the second- and fourth-year follow-up.
The researchers found that vitamin D deficiency was associated with a 75 percent increase in the risk of developing depression. The results remained the same even after they considered other factors, such as depressive symptoms, cardiovascular disease, chronic disease burden, and physical activity. These findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency could increase the likelihood of developing depression later in life.
To address this, the researchers recommend improving the vitamin D status of an individual as this could potentially reduce his or her risk of depression. "This could have significant policy and practice implications for government and health services," the researchers noted. Their study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. (Related: Children diagnosed with autism should take vitamin D supplements, say researchers.)
In the past two decades, the number of people with vitamin D deficiency has increased because many spend too much time indoors and have poor nutrition. People with vitamin D levels lower than 12 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) are considered to be vitamin D-deficient. Oftentimes, people don't know that they lack the vitamin because they don't experience symptoms for years. Therefore, it is necessary for people to get tested for vitamin D deficiency to increase their chance of preventing it. Here are some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency to look out for:
To prevent vitamin D deficiency, follow these tips:
Learn more about the importance of vitamin D by visiting VitaminD.news. | <urn:uuid:22bbad87-2905-4890-b64b-5157b3b7a354> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-05-29-vitamin-d-deficiency-linked-to-schizophrenia-depression.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506423.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20230922202444-20230922232444-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.955357 | 557 | 3.828125 | 4 |
Would you blast off to Saturn, if you could? Well, a group of researchers virtually visited the ringed planets to recreate the formation of Jupiter’s moons. They simulated Jupiter’s path as it cleared a track around the sun and found that Saturn may have been close enough to disrupt material at the edges of the path forming some of Jupiter’s moons.
Friday the 4this National Space Day, and a day to celebrate the remarkable advancements in space exploration. From, trips to the moon, to finding the DNA of stars, researchers are learning more about our solar system every day.
So, let’s celebrate with a reading list! Check out these fun space books from Arbordale.
Saturn for My Birthday
Jeffrey wants Saturn for his birthday, and he wants the moons too—all 47 of them. After all, they’ll make great night-lights! But he’s not selfish; he’ll share the rings with some of his friends at school and with his teacher, Mrs. Cassini. Facts about Saturn are woven seamlessly throughout this funny story as Jeffrey explains just what he’ll do with his present and how he’ll take care of it. His dad better hurry with the order, though, because shipping might take a while. The “For Creative Minds” education section features “Solar System” and “Saturn Fun Facts.”
Solar System Forecast
“Below-freezing temperatures, scorching heat, and storms bigger than planet Earth are just some of the wild weather you will encounter on your trip through the solar system! Get your fun facts along with your forecast for each major planet, as well as a moon (Titan) and a dwarf planet (Pluto). Get ready for some out of this world fun with Solar System Forecast!
Meet the Planets
Soar into the Solar System to witness the first Favorite Planet Competition, emceed by none other than the former-ninth planet, now known as dwarf planet Pluto. The readers become the judges after the sun can’t pick a favorite and the meteors leave for a shower. Who will the lucky winning planet be? Could it be speedy-messenger Mercury, light-on-his-feet Saturn, or smoking-hot Venus? Readers learn all about each planet as Pluto announces them with short, tongue-in-cheek facts. Children will spend hours searching the art for all the references to famous scientists and people of history, space technology, constellations, art, and classic literature.
Pieces of Another World
This touching story of a father and child’s nighttime excursion to watch a meteor shower is told through the eyes of a child in awe of the night world. Rockliff’s vivid descriptions make readers feel as though they too are watching the tiny bits of other, distant worlds blazing into our own.The “For Creative Minds” education section includes teaching trivia about meteors, meteor showers, comets, and asteroids as well as a “Meteor Math” game, a “Five Steps to a Fantastic Meteor Watching Party” checklist, and a recipe for comet cookies.
How the Moon Regained Her Shape
This fascinating story influenced by Native American folktales explains why the moon changes shape and helps children deal with bullies. After the sun insults and bullies her, the moon feels so badly hurt that she shrinks and leaves the sky. The moon turns to a comet and her many friends on earth to comfort her. Her friends include rabbits and Native Americans. Then she regains her full shape, happiness, and self-esteem. The moon also returns to her orbit. An educational appendix called “For Creative Minds” gives advice about bullying, scientific information about the moon, and ideas for related crafts, recipes, and games for children. | <urn:uuid:8830b1e9-24aa-4914-a2ec-234cca1c17c0> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://arbordalekids.wordpress.com/tag/teaching-activities/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655878753.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20200702111512-20200702141512-00193.warc.gz | en | 0.927987 | 804 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Immigrants come to the U.S. for many reasons, economic reasons for the most part, but also to take part in the American Dream. Education can be seen as a class issue, particularly when it comes to a college education, regardless of citizenship. The children of undocumented immigrants grow up in this unique situation – one that often goes beyond the current political battles we see being waged on cable news channels. I’ve read countless stories about those wedged between the legal jargon which prohibits them from U.S. citizenship and the rewards of this country’s educational system. Yet despite the challenges faced by many of these students, they find a way to succeed and thrive in an educational setting. Many could not imagine having to attend and do well in an educational environment with such a cloud hanging over their heads.
Yet, today I came across two illustrations (here and here) of how children of undocumented immigrants overcome, blossom, and are successful in their academic pursuits. These students have worked hard in the hopes of a better future – yet they often live in the shadows of a society that has yet to formally accept them. One of the biggest threats facing the United States today is the current racial and political division. Whether it’s the economy, healthcare, the environment, or immigration, real solutions – driven by people wanting to do the right thing – must be sought and then implemented to ease some of the growing tensions we see occurring. We must find a way to foster constructive and civil dialogues so that students like these can share the important contributions they hope to make – as well live their American Dream.
Update: Here’s an article that describes the experiences a four students who have made a 1,500 mile trek to build awareness about the Dream Act. | <urn:uuid:660daf31-e359-4423-b533-bd8edee2f08b> | CC-MAIN-2014-41 | http://miguelacorona.com/?p=1012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-41/segments/1412037663718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20140930004103-00415-ip-10-234-18-248.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972346 | 360 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Two mechanisms for hydrogen replenishment occur to me.
1. Our Sun is enveloped in a huge magneto sheath called the heliosphere
which extends far beyond the outer planets. This sheath might be
considered a digestive
system for the Sun. As the Sun
sweeps around the Milky Way galaxy , which it orbits once every
250,000,000 years, the magneto bow wave of the solar magnetosphere slams
into particles of dust and
knocks off lose electrons. This gives the particle a static charge, which
makes it sensitive to the Sun's magnetic field lines. The particle follows
the field lines into the north and south pole of the Sun. Like a whale
hunting krill, the Sun sweeps up considerable quantities of these. The
Earth's Auroras are miniature versions of what the Sun does.
The Sun must occasionally collide with the dense gas
and dust globules that litter
the Milky Way. At times like that, the Sun must be in a feeding frenzy mode.
Lucky for Earth, the majority of the incoming material reaches the Sun
without intersecting the planetary plane. Even so, those impact craters that
pockmark our planets and moons have to come from somewhere.
2. Then there is the "Something
for Nothing " postulation which I believe now has empirical proofs. In
this scenario the mere act of the Sun sustaining an absolute vacuum is a
free lunch. As attractive as this explanation is, I have a hard time
wrapping my mind around it. Perhaps I'm old-fashioned or have lived in the
ghetto too long. There's got to be a catch.
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do you define "Space" in the definition of a volume?
Space and volume are two different things. Space is
of this Universe, a volume - in the sense that I mean it - describes
the location (out of space) in which non-space, or a vacuum can
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what would be the
outcomes of your theory with regard to black holes which are
alleged to be at the center of every galaxy?
have only a rough opinion about this. There is so little
observational data that one can only extrapolate, but here is my
train of logic:
Basically, it depends on the accretion disk that surrounds the heavy
pre-black hole object. Since the charged plasma accretion disk is
very hot and whirling very fast. The magnetic coherency of that
structure must be very powerful indeed. As I mentioned in the video,
the magnetic consideration has the potential to be 10 x 33 powers
stronger than the gravitational force.
It's a little bit like a mouse tethered to an elephant: it's NOT
what the heavy gravitational object in the center wants to do, it's
the charged plasma that gets to be the "decider". With the data
available to me, that's as much as I can figure out at present.
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idea goes against the established notion as to how the sun
works. How can you defend that?
am more than aware of the hydrogen/fusion core model and its
It is the human condition that most adherents might cling to the
hydrogen/fusion core model, because it is hard to conceive of any
other means of solar propagation.
Mass and gravity have always been considered inseparable, and I am
cognizant of the fact that an empty sun might be viewed as a rather
However, those who teach and present the hydrogen/fusion core model
as a unquestioned fact ought to be ashamed of themselves.
It is sloppy and unscientific.
Such curriculum ought to be based on the observations at hand rather
than drawing erroneous conclusions.
I think of these as neo-Ptolomeans - science priests, hopelessly
stuck in their own notions of solar propagation and the facts be
damned. The hydrogen/fusion core model has cleared no observational
hurdles, no predicted observations.
As a consequence of such disastrous assumptions, fusion experiments
based on these have
in failure. This has been going on for the past 50 years and has
yielded no fruit, because the science is fundamentally flawed.
It is consuming huge resources, and it is time for this nonsense to
I'll discuss solar propagation any
time although I have no interest debating the subject with
'opponents' who have turf to defend. I've offered my observations,
suggested some predictions. I am
not interested in pithy sparring, taking offence or offending
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challenging the laws of gravitation?
The laws of gravitation do a perfectly good job of describing the
actions of bodies in space-time.
I am suggesting that a the force of gravity may not be inextricably
bound by a given quantity of mass in its ground state.
What do I mean by ground state?
relationship between gravity
and mass appear to be inviolate in three three basic states of
matter, solid, liquid or gas. I am suggesting that mass in the
fourth state - a plasma state - can induce gravity under certain
circumstances. That is, affording more gravity than can be accounted
for by a corresponding quantity of mass.
To date, no experiments with plasmas have had a
placed within the vicinity. It would be interesting to see if there
is a response on a gravimeter near a
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good theory should have a prediction. Do you have one?
Actually, there are two predictions:
One possible way to verify this model would be to collect data on
the direction of neutrinos coming from the sun with some accuracy.
If the vacuum model is correct, we should be observing a limb
effect, neutrinos coming from the edge rather than from the center
of the Sun. This is because nothing, including neutrinos can pass
through the body of an absolute vacuum Sun.
Accordingly, they would have to be
generated in the outer layer. The result would be a halo or limb
Although less perfect
but would be a very useful tool:
- Calculate the mass necessary to
inaugurate nuclear fusion in a classic proto-sun model.
- Place it in the center of our
solar system and extrapolate the speed of its angular momentum,
determining its rotation using Saturn's and Jupiter's rotations
- The result will of course be a a
proto-star spinning more rapidly than Jupiter
- "inflate" the Sun to the suns
present size, distributing its mass in a shell
- This will slow the angular
momentum/rotation speed as then proto-sun expands.
- See if it tallies the actual
rotation speed of the sun.
This calculation ought to be possible.
If the reader is qualified and interested, I will commission the
project. The math must stand up
to rigorous peer review.
I will pay extra for a scripted GUI interface that will allow the
user to adjust the parameters. If you are interested, please
The Sun aside, Saturn and Jupiter
make up the majority of the Solar System's mass. These bodies
would be less likely to have changed rotational speeds from
random strikes of external objcts.
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Hello, my name is Stephen Goodfellow. If
you will bear with me for the next ten minutes, I will show you
something that may completely change the way you perceive the
Universe. In this short video I shall illustrate my outrageous
assertion that the sun is a shell of hydrogen with an absolute
vacuum interior - a vacuum that induces gravity.
Furthermore, I shall support this assertion with empirical
observations that I have collected over the past 30 years. Are you
ready? Good. Let's begin.
Milk added to a stirred cup of coffee outlines a vortex, which
consists of a high pressure exterior and a low pressure center.
The vortex behaves in a manner identical to that of the planets
orbiting the Sun, in that both phenomena obey Kepler's Laws of
Weather it be clotted cream swishing around a low pressure center,
or a planet orbiting our Sun, their behavior is essentially
identical. Now - this is the interesting part - The depression in
the center of the coffee is a relative absence of matter producing
an effect identical to that of planets and Sun mutually attracted to
In other words, one event is brought about by a concentration of
mass, the other by an absence thereof.
This induced gravitational attraction takes on many related
manifestations in nature, some of which we are likely to come
across, whether it be in the form of water going down a drain.
...or a whirlpool in a river...
On a larger scale, hurricanes...
Although the spiral galaxies means of propagation remain a mystery,
one cannot but be struck by the similarities between these and their
more earthly counterparts.
The inner ear
Consider the organ with which we hear, the eardrum. Sounds that the
inner ear receives and decodes are compressional waves - that is,
areas in which there is more air, between troughs of less air - or
high and low pressures.
Through vibration, the ear translates these waves into
electrochemical impulses which are sent to the brain - and that
should be all there is to it - except that the ear actually performs
another seemingly unrelated function. The ear has two semi-circular
canals which inform the brain as to your position in relation to our
planet's gravitational field.
Now that is really, really interesting; one organ performing two seemingly different tasks.
One part of the eardrum works with pressure, the other, with
Now, if pressure and gravity were two fundamentally distinct and
separate forces, should we not expect to find two distinctly
separate organs to discern these two forces? After all, this is the
usual order of things. The heart, uniquely suited to pump blood
fulfills it's specialized role. Lungs specifically supply oxygen to
So why should the inner ear neatly perform two functions? Could it
be that pressure and gravity are manifestations of the same force?
Dictionaries define a vacuum as "A space absolutely devoid of
matter." And though it seems a reasonable statement, it is not
A better definition would be, vacuum is "A volume with no space in
Wherever we look in the universe, absolute vacuums" are nowhere to
Now that is pretty astonishing. Because, for the longest time space
was thought to be an absolute vacuum.
When Einstein produced his work on Relativity in the early part of
the 20th century, he had no way of knowing that space was not a
We know that light travels upon the fabric of space, but no
observation has ever been made of light propagating through an
Even in the thinnest intergalactic space, any given cubic centimeter
is awash in activity. Virtual particles spontaneously come into
existence, then blink out again. Radiation permeates this thinnest
of space. Whole atoms, unhindered, reach such high velocities that a
plethora of them
pass through a given cubic centimeter at any given time.
Space is a fabric of mass/energy and the laws of pressure are just
as relevant in outer space as within the boundaries of our own
atmosphere; it's just on a much, much bigger scale.
Let us now perform a simple thought model. Let's imagine that I, by
calling upon some mysterious power, can force the mass/energy out of
an area of given volume.
The first thing you would notice is that it would form into a sphere
because of the pressure of the air pushing in on it equally from all
sides. If you were able to observe the sphere - which you can't and
I'll explain why shortly - it would be completely dark. Within this
volume, there is no time nor temperature.
Now, the reason you could not directly look at this absence of
mass/energy is because the exterior atmosphere would fall in on it
with such intense pressure that it would glow.
...And that attraction, that crushing in of the exterior air would
be indistinguishable from gravity.
Could such objects really exist in reality?
Together with solid, liquid and gas, plasma is the 4th state of
matter. Our Sun is a large charged plasma ball. Because the sun is
rotating, this creates a dynamo effect which allows the plasma to
exist as a single unified magnetic entity.
How powerful is this effect? If you look at the shifting structures
in the suns outer layers, you see quite plainly that they are not
visibly effected by the crushing gravitational attraction of the
Sun. This is because the gravitational force is some 10 x 33rd times
weaker than the magnetic force (thats a number with 30 zeros behind
it.) In other words, it only takes a fraction of the plasma's
magnetic potential to overcome the gravitational influence of the
Here are three persuasive observations that lead me to believe that
the sun propagates in this manner.
Sunspots are dark depressions in the Sun's photosphere. The reason
they are dark is because we are looking in towards the absolute
vacuum of the Sun through this temporary thinning of solar hydrogen.
2. Helioseismology. Scientists have discovered that the sun rings,
much like a bell. These oscillations are much easier to propagate
through a thin plasma shell, rather than through an increasingly
dense object. One might compare a bowling ball and a bell; the bell
is much more likely to successfully oscillate.
3. Angular momentum.
If the solar system formed by accretion of interstellar matter, then
our Sun ought to be rotating much, much faster than it is. Like a
spinning ice skater accelerating by drawing in their arms, the Sun -
in the center of the solar system - ought to have the lions share of
angular momentum, but when we look at the system, we find that
Jupiter, our largest outer gas-giant planet, has the majority of the
angular momentum. Jupiter rotates once every 10 hours, whereas the
Sun rotates only every 30 days.
Picture a proto-star, somewhat heavier than Jupiter. The dense
pressure in the interior inaugurates nuclear fusion.
A charged plasma is created.
The dynamo effect created by the rapidly rotating proto-Sun supplies
a unifying magnetic field for the plasma.
Stripped Electrons and protons form into camps of like particles.
Magnetic repulsion occurs. ( Outward flow of plasma .)
The proto sun rapidly expands, and in doing so, like a spinning
skater putting out their arms, the rotation slows.
This inflation of the Sun leaves non space in it's wake; induced
gravitational attraction is brought about, restraining the further
outward flow of matter.
The opposing forces of magnetic repulsion and Induced gravitational
attraction brings the solar shell into equilibrium.
The Sun's shell of matter is heated under pressure from magnetic
plasma repulsion and induced gravitational attraction.
And now the the process repeats, The sun is in it's sustaining
cycle. The dense pressure of the suns matter crushing in on the
non-space heats it, sustaining nuclear fusion, which in turn
sustains the plasma. The fuel is hydrogen.
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A Northwestern University (NU) study showed that in the absence of injury, athletes across a variety of sports, including football, soccer and hockey, have healthier brains than non-athletes.
The study examined the brain health of 495 female and male Northwestern student athletes and 493 age- and sex-matched control subjects.
The researchers delivered speech syllables to study participants through earbuds and recorded the brain’s activity with scalp electrodes. They analyzed the ratio of background noise to the response to the speech sounds by looking at how big the response to sound was relative to the background noise.
Athletes have an enhanced ability to tamp down background electrical noise in their brain to better process external sounds, such as a teammate yelling a play or a coach calling to them from the sidelines.
Senior author and NU professor of communication sciences and neurobiology Nina Kraus likens the phenomenon to listening to a DJ on the radio.
“Think of background electrical noise in the brain like static on the radio,” Kraus said. “There are two ways to hear the DJ better: minimize the static or boost the DJ’s voice. We found that athlete brains minimize the background ‘static’ to hear the ‘DJ’ better.”
“A serious commitment to physical activity seems to track with a quieter nervous system,” Kraus said. “And perhaps, if you have a healthier nervous system, you may be able to better handle injury or other health problems.”
The findings could motivate athletic interventions for populations that struggle with auditory processing. In particular, playing sports may offset the excessively noisy brains often found in children from low-income areas, Kraus said.
The study was published on Monday in the journal Sports Health. | <urn:uuid:c7e02fcb-4323-472f-a6b3-d070f3c52984> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | http://famagusta-gazette.com/2019/12/10/playing-sports-promises-healthier-brain-study/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655879532.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20200702142549-20200702172549-00466.warc.gz | en | 0.944557 | 369 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Now the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I don’t belong to the body,” does that alter the fact that the foot is a part of the body? Of if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I don’t belong to the body,” does that mean that the ear really is no part of the body? After all, if the body were all one eye, for example, where would be the sense of hearing? Or if it were all one ear, where would be the sense of smell? But God has arranged all the parts in the one body according to his design. For if everything were concentrated in one part, how could there be a body at all? The fact is there are many parts, but only one body. So that the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” nor, again, can the head say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body which have no obvious function are the more essential to health: and to those parts of the body which seem to us to be less deserving of notice we have to allow the highest honour of function. The parts which do not look beautiful have a deeper beauty in the work they do, while the parts which look beautiful may not be at all essential to life! But God has harmonised the whole body by giving importance of function to the parts which lack apparent importance, that the body should work together as a whole with all the members in sympathetic relationship with one another. So it happens that if one member suffers all the other members suffer with it, and if one member is honoured all the members share a common joy.
I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
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Bible Gateway Plus equips you to answer the toughest questions about faith, God, and the Bible. There's no software to install; it's all integrated seamlessly into your Bible Gateway experience. Try it free for 30 days! | <urn:uuid:4859465d-7b9d-41ca-a5ac-9841086c7f80> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/1%20Corinthians+12:18 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818689102.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20170922183303-20170922203303-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.957777 | 759 | 2.78125 | 3 |
There are the East and West coasts and then there is the Midwest. We’d like to think that not everything that hits the coasts is going to filter inland to the Heartland, but in many cases it does. Case in point, California’s Prop. 2 and its animal care edicts.
Right now, however, California is embroiled in another hot issue that also affects agriculture, as well as everyday living — an issue that will affects us all sooner or later. Water.
Water wars in the dry West are nothing new. After all, virtually all of this nation was settled and developed based on water availability.
But that geographic limitation is blurred ever since we harnessed the power of irrigation in agriculture. The United Nations report that irrigated surfaces equaled 198 million acres in 1950 — and 667 million acres as of 2000.
It’s said Mark Twain once observed, “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.” Indeed, as a headline on a current news story proclaimed: “Water is the new oil.”
They’re finding that out in the San Joaquin Valley, which is California’s leading agricultural region and has sometimes been called the “nation’s salad bowl.” Fresno County alone accounted for $5.6 billion in ag production last year.
Farmers and residents there are facing two “biological opinions” governing California’s water flow. In a nutshell, the opinions are the basis for new environmental rules diverting 10 percent of the region’s irrigation water to the protection of the Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead instead.
And that’s on top of measures unveiled last December to protect the endangered delta smelt. The Fresno Bee reports that the cumulative effect of the water cuts — to agricultural users and the 25 million Californians who rely on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta for drinking water — could be as much as 30 percent.
Thousands of farm acres have been left unplanted; unemployment in some farming communities is estimated at 40 to 50 percent, according to the California Farm Bureau. “State water deliveries to valley farms this summer will total only 30 percent of contract amount,” the state Farm Bureau reported earlier this spring, “while federal water deliveries for farmers south of the delta currently are at zero.”
The federal Interior Department has named a point person to deal with California’s water problems, and just this week, June 29, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named his own state water czar.
“This is our new normal,” Westlands Water District spokesman Sarah Woolf recently told the Fresno Bee. She said Westlands, the largest agricultural user of delta water, is receiving just 10 percent of its federal water allotment this year.
Farmers in the Westlands district have fallowed more than 100,000 acres because of lack of water.
The reality is that the amount of water available for agriculture — and not only in California — is going to shrink.
“… reasonable uses may become unreasonable as the number of users of a water resource increases and the total quantity of water demanded surpasses supply.” Sound like a West Coast voice? It wasn’t. That came from an Ohio official explaining the state’s unpredictable water withdrawal law back in 2004.
Even the Midwest’s water abundance can’t be taken for granted. We need to think ahead to preserve and conserve this basic building block of life. | <urn:uuid:1d785659-dc28-4ffb-899e-463604938799> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/water-wars-will-impact-us-all/12433.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700795821/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103955-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948603 | 728 | 2.625 | 3 |
NVIDIA awakened the world to computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. From its roots in visual computing, the company expanded into parallel computing and mobile computing. Today, its processors power a broad range of products from smartphones to supercomputers. NVIDIA's mobile processors are used in phones, tablets and auto infotainment systems. PC gamers rely on GPUs to enjoy spectacularly immersive worlds. Professionals use them to create visual effects in movies and design everything from golf clubs to jumbo jets. And researchers utilize GPUs to advance the frontiers of science with high-performance computers. The company holds more than 2,300 patents worldwide, including ones covering ideas essential to modern computing. | <urn:uuid:3f0c5c8c-fd3c-4add-9c16-c079762cd4ac> | CC-MAIN-2014-41 | http://www.tripleeight.co.uk/newsshowarticle.php?id=25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-41/segments/1410657136896.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20140914011216-00330-ip-10-234-18-248.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.892169 | 136 | 2.75 | 3 |
The Wichi indigenous people live in the arid zone of the central Chaco, a land characterized by little rain for much of the year and intense downpours in the month of November. One of the most important products for the community is honey gathered from wild bees, known in the indigenous language as twatsaj. The Wichi are not beekeepers; they do not rear the bees in hives, but collect the honey from hollow trees. Two months after the start of the flowering season in the middle of August, honey starts to accumulate in the wild hives. The best time for harvesting it is in November, when the rains start. The local people observe the bees’ activity and identify the tree trunks or hollow branches where the honey can be found. As they extract it, they leave a share, often containing pollen, for the colonies to feed on. They extract the honey and wax together, then press the mixture to separate out the honey. The honey is then filtered to remove impurities, passing it three times through a cloth, before being packaged for sale.
Gender roles are well defined in the community: The men harvest the honey, hunt and catch fish, while the women cultivate and gather fruits from many different arboreal species, including carob, chañar, mistol, quebracho blanco, palo borracho, palo santo and chaguar. The safeguarding of these plants is very important, because in addition to fruits, they also provide the flowers for the bees, fodder for animals and even natural dyes for textiles. The Wichi women are skilled at working the fiber obtained from the chaguar plant, turning it into textiles used to make typical bags called yicas, which are sold locally and used by the men to hold their fishing catch.
The Presidium’s objective is to network together producers, chefs, gastronomes, specialists and institutions who are interested in preserving and promoting the wild products harvested by the Larguero community, as well as the local knowledge, culture and traditions. With the honey, work will be done to improve the harvesting and the cleanliness of the facilities where it is pressed and filtered, and to promote its marketing. Though the project has been started in Larguero, a second phase will see the involvement of other communities.
Salta province, central Chaco
Presidium supported by
IFAD – International Fund for Agricultural Development
Juan Ignacio Pearson
Tel. +54 93873543801 | <urn:uuid:af06e533-7e8d-4436-824f-c5a547b4c941> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/slow-food-presidia/wichi-wild-honey/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948673.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20230327154814-20230327184814-00728.warc.gz | en | 0.931172 | 530 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Last week, the U.S. National Climate Data Center declared that 2012 was the warmest year on record for the lower 48 states by a healthy margin. In fact, 2012 was more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th century average and 1 degree warmer than the previous record year of 1998. In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration flatly declared, in the draft version of its National Climate Assessment report, "Climate change is already affecting the American people" and it is "primarily driven by human activity."
The balance of the scientific evidence currently bears this out. So if it's true that man-made global warming will cause significant problems for humanity, what should be done about it?
Back in 1992, the Rio Earth Summit launched an international negotiation process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) with the aim of preventing "dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." In 1998, that process produced the Kyoto Protocol under which developed nations committed to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions (chiefly carbon dioxide) by an average of 5 percent below the levels they emitted in 1990. The goal was to ration carbon dioxide emissions through an international cap-and-trade carbon market.
The United States subsequently refused to join the Kyoto Protocol and only the European Union set up a carbon-trading market. As the recent U.N. climate change conference in Doha made clear, the Kyoto Protocol has failed. The nations of the world are now supposed to reach some kind of binding agreement on limiting greenhouse gas emissions by 2015 that would go into effect by 2020. Since Kyoto Protocol-style cap-and-trade schemes have failed, what other policies might gain international acceptance? One of the chief contenders is a system of carbon taxes.
Before weighing the merits of the carbon tax idea, it's worth considering whether limits on greenhouse gases (chiefly carbon dioxide) may be justified in the first place. In a persuasive 2009 article, "Taking Property Rights Seriously: The Case of Climate Change," Case Western Reserve University law professor Jonathan Adler argues that carbon dioxide emissions may be likened to common law nuisances. Under common law, property owners are not permitted to use their property in ways that damage their neighbors' property, e.g., you may not build a pond that floods your neighbor's field. In Adler's view, the people who benefit from producing, selling, and buying products and services that emit carbon dioxide should similarly be held liable for the damages caused to their neighbors as a consequence of emissions-induced temperature increases. Such damages might include flooding from rising sea levels and more intense rain events or crop losses due to changes in rain and temperature regimes.
In other words, carbon dioxide emissions generated in the production of certain goods and services likely impose costs on people, but those costs are not borne by the producers and consumers of those goods and services and are thus not reflected in their prices. Such costs are often called externalities because they are outside the market processes that would otherwise oblige producers and consumers to pay for them. Ideally, people could seek restitution in court for damages caused by emissions and the damages paid would be reflected in the price consumers are charged.
The trick is identifying those who are actually causing climate damage and those who are being harmed by it. As the Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase argued in his seminal 1960 article, "The Problem of Social Cost,"[PDF] assigning property rights solves this sort of puzzle by enabling people to settle the issue of liability and payment for damages. Notionally, in the case of global warming, people would be assigned property rights to the atmosphere, leaving would-be polluters to negotiate payments with these owners for the right to emit carbon dioxide. But as Coase acknowledged, sometimes the transactions costs—meaning the costs of identifying who's harmed, the amount of the damages, and the costs of adjudication—would simply to be too great to be practical.
In the eyes of many people, it appears quite impractical to assign property rights to the global atmosphere, even though externalities are clearly being imposed upon third parties. In such cases, the conventional argument holds that government intervention is necessary to force market participants to take account of the damages—the externalities—that they impose on third parties. After the failure of the Kyoto Protocol, one such intervention getting the attention of both the public and policymakers is a tax on carbon dioxide emissions.
In his 1988 introduction to The Firm, the Market, and the Law, however, Coase countered this line of thinking. "The ubiquitous nature of 'externalities' suggests to me that there is a prima facie case against intervention," he wrote, "and the studies on the effects of regulation which have been made in recent years in the United States, ranging from agriculture to zoning, which indicate that regulation has commonly made matters worse, lend support to this view." So the question is: Would a carbon tax make matters worse?
Let's take a look. Most economists prefer a revenue-neutral carbon tax that would be imposed at the mine-head for coal, the wellhead for natural gas, and at the refinery-gate for petroleum products. Revenue neutral means the tax would not increase government revenues, but would replace other taxes. One often-heard proposal is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes on labor (the payroll tax) and on capital (the corporate income tax). One significant upside is that reducing taxes on labor and capital boosts economic growth by encouraging people to work harder and invest more. Another plus is that carbon taxes would ideally displace top-down command-and-control regulations such as the Environmental Protection Agency's new rules on electric power plant emissions and subsidies to wind, solar, and bioethanol energy production.
One big distributional concern, however, is that a carbon tax falls more heavily on the poor since they spend a higher proportion of their incomes on energy-intensive goods and services than do the better off. One way to address the regressive distributional consequences is a tax-and-dividend proposal in which every American receives an equal share of the carbon taxes collected that is deposited each month in their bank accounts. While this idea addresses the concern about the regressive nature of carbon taxes, it lessens the incentives that offset taxes would provide for increased work and investment.
In terms of mitigating future climate change, a revenue neutral carbon tax would encourage producers and consumers to economize on energy produced by burning coal, natural gas, and oil that produce climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions. Boosting the price of fossil fuels aims to enable actors in markets, not politicians and bureaucrats, to pick the least costly ways to cut emissions. Taxing carbon is also supposed to call forth innovation that would eventually create low-cost no-carbon sources of energy.
This is precisely what the European cap-and-trade carbon market was supposed to achieve. However, a 2011 report by the Swiss bank UBS found that the European Trading Scheme had cost European consumers $277 billion for "almost zero impact." This waste of money occurred because European countries issued far too many carbon dioxide emissions permits so that their prices were too low to encourage investment in energy innovation. In order to avoid the European mess, the folks over at Carbon Tax Center argue that a much higher carbon tax is needed. As an example, they point to a 2009 bill sponsored by Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) which would impose an initial carbon tax of $15 per ton and then increase it every year by $10 t0 $15 per ton for the next 10 years. A carbon price of $120 per ton would add about $1 to the price of a gallon of gasoline and 5 cents per kilowatt-hour to the retail price of electricity.
It is likely that such a high tax would result in significant carbon dioxide emissions reductions. But what might a U.S. carbon tax by itself achieve with regard to altering the course of future man-made climate change? Not all that much, argues Chip Knappenberger, the assistant director of the Center for the Study of Science at the libertarian think tank, the Cato Institute. Knappenberger points out that the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects an increase in global average temperature of about 3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. Assuming the projected trajectory of overall global emissions by all countries, if the U.S. were somehow to completely eliminate all of its greenhouse gas emissions now that would reduce future warming by only 0.2 degree Celsius by 2100. In other words, the globe would warm by 2.8 degrees Celsius instead of by 3.0 degrees Celsius.
So clearly if the projected damages caused by future man-made warming are to be mitigated, most countries in the world would have to adopt a carbon tax. A globally harmonized carbon tax would be collected and spent by each country—there would be no international tax financing any international agency. An advantage of carbon taxes is that they function much like tariffs, which are much more transparent than cap-and-trade schemes. In addition, countries that do tax carbon could impose tariffs on goods imported from countries that don't so that their home producers are not disadvantaged by high energy prices. But is it really feasible that most countries in the world would adopt a carbon tax?
To get at this question, University of Sussex economist Richard Tol has calculated what he evocatively calls the Leviathan carbon tax. Tol defines his Leviathan tax as the maximum carbon tax that is budget-neutral—that is, all other taxes are reduced to zero and replaced by a carbon tax. The Leviathan tax takes into account the carbon intensity of each country, meaning the amount of carbon dioxide generated by every dollar of growth in the economy. He finds that Nigeria and Liberia could finance their entire government budgets with a $1 per ton carbon tax. Any more than that would funnel more revenues into government coffers and grow the size of their governments relative to their private sectors.
Tol uses World Bank tax data that excludes taxes that directly finance social security programs to determine the percent of GDP paid in tax revenues to the U.S. government. Tol calculates that a tax of $223 per ton of carbon dioxide could replace all revenues derived from U.S. income and corporate taxes. To replace all tax revenues, China would have to levy a carbon dioxide tax of $29 per ton; India $45; Germany $267; Japan $450; and the United Kingdom $855 per ton. In each case, collecting more violates revenue neutrality and increases government tax revenues.
Tol then calculated what level a globally harmonized carbon tax would have to reach to limit greenhouse gas atmospheric concentrations (now 390 parts per million) to 650 ppm carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), 550 ppm CO2e, and 450 ppm CO2e. The IPCC argues that it will be necessary to keep greenhouse atmospheric concentrations below 450 ppm in order to have at least a 50-50 chance of keeping the increase in global average temperature below 2.0 degrees Celsius. According to Tol's calculations, that implies a global $149 per ton carbon tax imposed beginning in 2015.
Imposing such a steep carbon in tax in countries like China, India, Russia, and Indonesia would dramatically increase the percentage of their GDP that flows into government coffers, which, in turn, would greatly enlarge their governments. On the other hand, if those nations did not collect a $149 per ton tax, it would mean that other countries would have raise their taxes in order to keep greenhouse gas concentrations below the 450 ppm threshold. By the way, Tol calculates that a $149 per ton tax could replace two-thirds of current federal income tax revenues in the United States.
Assuming that man-made climate change is imposing damage and costs on third parties, there is a strong libertarian case they should be compensated. However, the preferred Coasean policy of establishing and allocating property rights and then allowing negotiations over proper compensation is impractical. If a carbon tax is to be the next best alternative to a property rights regime for mitigating harms caused to third parties by future climate change, it should be revenue neutral and globally harmonized.
History reveals that the prospect of government fiscal restraint in the presence of new revenue streams is not promising. For example, Thomas Pyle, the president of the Institute of Energy Research, has pointed out that the top rate of the new U.S. income tax in 1913 started out at 7 percent, but under pressure of World War I reached 77 percent by 1918. In addition, Tol's Leviathan Tax analysis suggests that it is unlikely that a globally harmonized carbon tax is achievable. One counter-argument is that if the U.S. and other developed nations were to adopt a high carbon tax this could spur more rapid technological development of cheaper no-carbon and low-carbon energy technologies that poorer countries could then adopt to leapfrog over further burning of coal, natural gas, and oil.
In 1988, Coase argued, "The fact that governmental intervention also has its costs makes it very likely that most 'externalities' should be allowed to continue if the value of production is to be maximized." Considering how well governments afflicted by political conflicts of interest, chronic corruption, and inherent incompetence can be expected to execute a carbon tax, global warming is likely just such an externality. | <urn:uuid:fd80d784-f9b6-4419-a6fc-a1fdf3e817f4> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://reason.com/2013/01/16/should-the-us-adopt-a-carbon-tax-to-cont/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347458095.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20200604192256-20200604222256-00112.warc.gz | en | 0.956551 | 2,716 | 2.78125 | 3 |
We often can’t detect traces of cartographers in their maps. Yet Samuel de Champlain left multiple clues concerning his new world encounters the maps of New France printed between 1612 to 1632 in Paris. Champlain’s experiences are not encrypted in emblems, moreover, but explicitly recorded in his depiction of a territory whose rivers he opened for navigation and commerce through a set of maps printed in Paris, as well as by actions as a proxy of the French realm.
Champlain mapped the interior of New France as Hydrographer Royal shortly after he gained the charge to secure trading rights in New France from about 1602, which led to some twelve sojourns in the New World from 1603-35. His encounters are not only noted but prepared for a French audience of readers in his maps: and while Champlain is cast as an explorer, so much as tracking his own exploration of the region, the multiple maps he designed and printed in Paris staged graphically dense appeals for the New World’s settlement, not only marking outposts of French settlement, but investing value in a region earlier described as “frozen wilderness” as a land of viable trading partners, rich in beaver and otter pelts, cod, and fruits–mapping the New World, as it were, from France. Whereas the prolific cartographer Giacomo Gastaldi had provided the earliest qualitative map of the region of the “Terra del Labrador” and “La Nuova Francia” in 1556, synthesizing nautical maps probably made from those of Jacques Cartier with rich qualitative details of the region an its inhabitants, as well as its plenitude of marine fish, the abundance of islands and crisscrossing rivers suggested a need for navigating by canoes, more than an outpost of easy nautical approach, but a richly peopled region.
When Champlain returned to the region Jacques Cartier had more cursorily mapped in his 1545 “nauigation faicte es ysles de Canada, Hochelaga, et Saguenay” by expanding the account in Cartier’s Brief recit & succincte narration of his travels up the river, using the toponyms known to Europeans through Cartier’s account, to expand detailed cartographical canvasses whose rationales for its settlement were adopted by missionaries to make their own arguments of conversion. As he travelled on what we know call the St. Lawrence, for Champlain “la riviere de Canada,” he incorporated native Amerindian accounts to map the resources of New France. Champlain’s hidden need was to present both an image of Amerindians as potential trading partners, and to present an image of the territories as open to future settlement that expanded the manuscript journals of Cartier, themselves published in 1598, unlike the wild regions Cartier had earlier so evocatively described.
Champlain presented himself as an intermediary to the New World, echoing his Old Testament given name of a prophet, visionary and seer, called by God to be an advisor to Kings; the image of a prophet who advised the nation fit the role Champlain styled himself as an intermediary of judging areas of potential trade in the New World. From the time he served as a captain of a Spanish ship to “Porto Rico,” Mexico, Colombia, the Bermudas (Santo Domingo) and Panama to the persuasive images of regions that he mapped for French settlement from 1603–travels described in his 1604 “Des Sauvages: ou voyage de Samuel Champlain, de Brouages, faite en la France nouvelle l’an 1603 [Concerning the Primitives: Or Travels of Samuel Champlain of Brouages, Made in New France in the Year 1603]. Although the title was probably chosen by the printer, as perhaps the name New France, the term for the Amerindians colored the reception and diffusion of the “Sauvage,” a term later invested with connotations of absolute difference so that by the mid-seventeenth-century Jesuits as Allouez asserted Europeans doubted the ability to convert Amerindians to true Christians.
The evocative title that the printer gave to Champlain’s account of his encounters transformed the search for natural resources conducted after the governor of Dieppe, Aymar de Chaste, asked the Royal Hydrographer to help expand his monopoly on the fur trade at the trading post of Tadoussac, based on Cartier’s accounts, and then, after de Chaste’s death, from 1604-7, plan the settlement of Acadia to make good on its Governor’s patent on trading rights.
Whereas the Vallard atlas offered an inviting illustration of the benefits of settlement along the riverine network with potential Amerindian trading partners, Champlain’s maps of 1604, 1608, and 1638 compiled convincing arguments for the logic of New France’s settlement, based both on the Dictionary that Cartier had compiled and the even more intense engagement of native Amerindians that he believed would both secure a monopoly in the fur trade and, as he sought to learn from them a convincing route and, after his 1612 commission, to “search for a free passage by which to reach the country called China.” The potential of such a route had been long advanced in the Ortelian 1570 “Typus Orbis Terrarum,” but was not cartographically realized, as the interior of “Nova Francia” was left unmapped beyond Cartier’s account, through the de Jode map of 1589.
Champlain was trained as a nautical cartographer, but unlike the pictorial maps prepared from nautical charts in the French Dieppe school, whose pictorial images attracted nautical exploration in ways I’ve discussed, Champlain’s printed maps invited a French readers to examine a region about which there was particular curiosity. The chorography of New France that Champlain prepared as hydrographer to Henri IV detailed not both a less imagined view of the region’s topography and navigability, and mapped the inhabitants of North America with considerable care: in his map, Champlain combined both his own surveys and charts with knowledge of the region’s inhabitants and habitation gathered from native Innu peoples who lived there–known by Champlain as the Montaignais and Etechimani–whose inhabitation of the region was poorly mapped and previously “unknown.”
Champlain’s map made the land New France, although the title that he chose for his book “voyages en France nouvelle” of 1608 seems to have been chosen, as its discussion of “Sauvages,” by a publisher, in ways that led the map to refract more meanings than Champlain might have understood–and quite soon after its appearance beyond the charge to open the St. Lawrence valley for French settlement.
Yet if the title of the book, not surviving in editions with the map that seems intended to accompany it, he was clearly fascinated by native cultures, only later linking the “Sauvage” to the pagan, and believe in transforming Amerindians through Catholic conversion and intermarriage with the French in ways that were probably informed by his increased contact with and dependence on missionaries by the 1630s.
In the map of New France he had engraved in 1612, an expansive chorographical or regional map of New France, detailed the coasts of islands that he had first travelled among extensively along its coast and the riverine network to the Great Lakes he first saw or described–and whose path Champlain pursued to gain the most complete monopoly of the fur trade, rather than the search for silver and gold that the French king hoped to pursue, which increasingly come to subsidize his expeditions. In shifting the mapping of New France from a tradition of nautical charting to the medium of terrestrial mapping, Champlain both gave his maps richly ethnographic material functions that allowed him to stage broader arguments for the region’s future exploration, even as he continued to raise the possibility and promise of mapping routes of trade to the east by a Northwest passage.
The engraved regional map of New France detailed the coasts of islands that he had first travelled among extensively along its coast and the riverine network to the Great Lakes he first saw or described as he sought to gain advantages in the fur trade. The current exhibit Moving with the River organized at Ottawa’s Museum of Civilization examines the role played by the St. Lawrence River in Canadian identity from its place as an avenue of Champlain’s contact and alliance with native peoples. Yet the maps Champlain made for French readers pivot from nautical maps of coasts of Acadia and Newfoundland, to parlay skills of mapping developed on the west coast of France and in voyages to the Indies, to exploiting the legibility terrestrial map-making to chart future ties of trade and eventual intermarriage of peoples.
His expansive maps of the region and its inhabitants shifted his brief from mapping sites of settlement in New France to mapping inland avenues for trade on a web of rivers and lakes. The maps demand specific attention, in other words, for how they provided a compelling record of the region for French readers by introducing them to it alternately as a site for potential settlement, commerce, and conversion–combining the ends of mapping and combining several formats of mapping that had often been previously held distinct competencies or forms of expertise and subject-matter. In an almost improvisational way, Champlain was adapting his mapping techniques for new audiences that the printed maps might address. Whereas Champlain’s initial project of nautical mapping echoed a conception of Canada voiced Marguerite of Navarre, who saw “Canada” as an island (and possible obstacle to voyage to the orient), the engravings that he provided during his many trips to the region re-mapped an image of the region as an area of trade and settlement, embodying a network of routes of trade around where he founded the first French cities in the New World.
The map that he designed in 1608 redefined French readers’ relation to the New World in a magisterial synthesis of nautical and terrestrial cartography, bridging charting and surveying to map the mouth of the river that Cartier had earlier entered to the inland region known as the Great Lakes that would be so profitable for fur trading, after he concluded a lasting peace with native tribes to allow French settlement.
The map suggests a new sense of having mapped lasting peace in New France. A lower left cartouche conspicuously mapped the inhabitants of the region from whom Champlain he was asked to make a treaty with and from whom he learned so much. Champlain not only conducted peace with the Montaignais, but relied on native accounts to map much of the Great Lakes–trusting Algonquin accounts of the upper St. Lawrence and eastern Great Lakes, openly seeking them out to map of the region from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, and mapping its imagined relation to a great saltwater sea. Although it is doubtful he traveled beyond the current site of Montreal on the St. Lawrence, where he began to write his text–but amplified the map beyond where he had traveled by incorporating Algonquin accounts obtained in 1603–the imagined expanse of New France created a New World with the hint of the promise of a North-West passage, and ample evidence of trading partners along the river’s path.
Champlain’s printed account of 1608 consciously exploited the term of “Sauvages” or ‘forest-dwellers’ popularized by the arrival at the royal French court of native North Americans. The term was not derogatory, but described the forest-dwellers who since an alliance of 1602 had helped orient himself in the region, and whose considerable attention after their visit to the royal court increased the interest in the work he prepared at just short of thirty years, Des Sauvages: ou voyage de Samuel Champlain, de Brouages, faite en la France nouvelle l’an 1603 [“Concerning the Primitives: Or Travels of Samuel Champlain of Brouages, Made in New France in the Year 1603“]. Indeed, the term–if introduced by his publisher, advertised his status as a privileged informant, more than a map-maker, that echoed his first post aiding a secret agent and member of the royal household in Brittany.
Champlain styled himself as a principal informant about New World life for the French public. At roughly the same time Native Peoples arrived at Henry IV’s court and piqued interest in “Sauvages” among court figures, the striking title capitalized on wide curiosity in the figure of the New World Native, rather than as a derogatory term, in ways that opened the map to further readings as a site of conversion and commerce alike, calling the natives likely to welcome Catholic colonizers from France for the order that they would provide, and concepts of prayer they would introduce, even if “most of them live like brute beasts” (1603: 117) and often in ritual dances “stripped themselves stark naked” (1603: 107-8; 180). Champlain wrote admiringly of their government, costumes, nautical knowledge and bravery, offering that “I hold that they would quickly become good Christians if their lands were colonized [je tiens que qui leur monstreroit à vivre & enseigner le labourage des terres, & autres choses, ils l’apprendroient fort bien],” his work would in ways provoke debates about the possibility of conversion for Jesuits, and about the limits of converting, civilizing or “Frenchifying [franciser]” Amerindian natives. When Champlain sought to teach Amerindians the nature of a beneficent God and the efficacy of prayer to Amerindians, he presented their absence of religious ceremonies as akin to their absence of law , but did not see why this could be changed: “You see why I believe they have no laws, nor know what it means to worship and pray to God [je croy qu’il n’y a aucune loy parmy eux, ne sçavent que c’est d’adorer & prier Deu],” he wrote; yet “I believe that they would be quickly brought round to being Good Christians if their lands were colonized, which they might well mostly desire [croy que promptement ils seroient reduicts bons Chretiens si l’on habitoit leurs terres, ce qui’ils desireroient la plus part].” (Only later, among debates between the limits of conversion to French customs among Recollect and Jesuit missionaries, did the notion of a “sauvage” become associated with a pagan.)
Champlain’s richly ethnographic account provided little sense of natives’ nobility, but his images of these warriors–the Montaignais had encouraged the French to be their allies against the Iroquois–reflected in his sustained interest in “their countries . . . and forms of assembly,” as well as their songs, clothing, hunting practices, food, tobacco, and snowshoes, as well as hairstyles, public oratory and dance-steps.
Champlain’s dependence on native accounts of the region led to his expansion of ties with natives on the Saguenay River that Cartier had earlier encountered. Indeed, in 1602 Champlain concluded a treaty or peace with the natives that he called the Montaignais, native Americans on the St. Lawrence’s shoreline and Labrador and Quebec and those he called the Etchemin [Maliseet], and later the Algonquin, admiring the superior quality of their furs to those he had seen in the future Nova Scotia; Henri II eagerly founded the Acadia and Canada Company and granted it a monopoly on the fur trade which Champlain was to help protect. The map recorded to some extent the longest-standing alliance Europeans created with Natives–or “sauvages,” as he put it–to that point, much as Champlain himself discussed their “nations” and treated their leaders as heads of state. The “sauvages” who Champlain had ‘tamed’ were displayed in the map, as something of a token of what he saw as his accomplishment: it seems that two of these peoples had returned from France while as he was in Tadoussac, increasing the possibility of the alliance, as did a treaty against their Iroquois enemies–dragging the French into a conflict lasting through the eighteenth century.
For Champlain, the engraved map was a complex and subtle register to mediate his encounter with New World, unlike the pictorialized charts of the Dieppe school before Champlain’s birth that rendered natives hunts such as the “Vallard” atlas.
Although the atlases of the Dieppe school, as Vallard atlas above from the Huntington, or the Harleian Map, presented enticing images of natives along green river-banks, attempting to attract interest in their settlement through images of peaceful relations with local inhabitants Champlain’s maps promoted the settlement of a region poorly known to Europeans still “Terra Incognita” as late as 1589, if contiguous with New France, as in this Dutch map of Cornelis de Jode, one of the competitors with the French in the potentially lucrative fur trade, as well as in the charts of Nicolas Nicolai’s Isolario for Henri II.
The map Champlain drafted of the interior contrasted strongly to the routes of potential Atlantic trade that Nicolas Nicolai, predecessor as royal hydrographer for Henri II, created to foreground routes of potential trade, which plotted routes to North America in his Isolario and 1548 Navigazioni del mondo novo, reprinted through the late 1560s, whose paucity of detail revealed limited knowledge of the Montaignais at the mouth of the Saguenay and only vague knowledge of anything about the land through with the river’s course runs, and focus on the Indies as a locus of trade, limiting New France to the mouth of the St. Lawrence.
In the series of maps that he made which provide something of his increased encounters with New World natives, and search for new potential trading partners, Champlain shifted his sights dramatically to the unknown rivers of the interior that he explored not by ship–as he was familiar from his first voyages of 1598, but by canoe. After several natives the French knew as the Montaignais or “mountain-people” had travelled to the French court of Henry IV, popularizing the term–and category–Champlain adopted the term of New World curiosities as subjects worthy of description and mediation in a map.
The geographic and ethnographic detail in Champlain’s map of 1608 reflect not only curiosity with the figure of the “Sauvage,” but Champlain’s decisive engagement in tribal disputes in attempting to secure fur trading rights–as well as rivers’ course. The map reflected not only the considerable inter-breeding of French settlers and fishermen with the nomadic natives they called “mountain-men” or mountaineers because of their knowledge of the hills at the mouth of the St. Lawrence, and since the contact promised further knowledge of the region. Rather than follow the precedent of nautical map, familiar in from the picturesque images of “Canada” in the manuscript atlases of the Dieppe school whose pictorial images had promoted the material benefits nautical exploration from the time of Champlain’s childhood, or maps of the New World that first circulated in engraved in France. Unlike these maps, Champlain’s maps situated the Atlantic islands around modern Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy on meridians in ways that gave a material presence to the northern expanses of North America to Hudson Bay and past Lake Ontario, in ways that offered readers a material record of geographic fixity as well as documenting the goods, mapping both products and routes for future mercantile expansion in the New World for which Henry IV was so desirous, by placing its inhabitants as crucial figures who might both be converted to Catholicism and be active partners in colonial trade. (The legend continued far after the settlement of Canada: Claude Levi-Strauss remembered in Tristes Tropiques that an older Frenchmen described the Nambikwara as “sauvages“–and never otherwise—as if “on l’eût cru débarqué en quelque Canada, aux côtés de Cartier ou de Champlain.” Levi-Strauss may have made a similar connection in contemplating their “sauvagerie” when describing his arrival at a land “as large as France and three-quarters unexplored,” by filled with nomadic indigenous peoples.)
Although Champlain’s first mission as Royal Hydrographer seemed to have been to establish a permanent seat of settlement for France in the New World, his maps both lent greater fixity to place; if Cosgrove suggested that the “geographic indeterminacy [of islands] also increased their imaginative resonance,” Champlain’s New France supplanted the colored islands on the edges of earlier world maps with newly determined coordinates. Indeed, he noted routes of trade and objects of interest with far more restraint than the abundance of fantastic creatures in marine maps of northern seas like the chart that the Swedish patriot and priest Olaus Magnus drafted as a comprehensive visual geographic history of Scandinavia and surrounding waters in 1538, with Roman artisans, as a graphic register of the arctic seas.
The maps printed in Paris that traced Champlain’s explorations of North America for French readers mirrored a shift from a nautical network of travel around the coasts of Newfoundland and the present Nova Scotia, where he founded the first French cities in the New World of Port-Royal and St.-Croixe as outposts of trade in minerals or furs.
The terrestrial maps that Champlain would later design reflect a shift form a network of routes of nautical travel, seeking to found outposts for trading ports in the New World, to a search for inland connections to new networks of trade in furs to secure the monopoly on the fur trade that Jacque Cartier described: a position from which he sought to both better understand and present a convincing picture of a network of trade in the interior. After years spent mapping possible seats of France’s first city or entrepot in the New World in Acadia, Maine, the Bay of Fundy, and even down to Cape Cod, Champlain had returned to France to print the map–the precursor of subsequent printed maps of 1612, 1631 and 1638, each of which seems to punctuate twenty-one voyages Champlain made to the New World–and turned his attention to the interior, a decision that probably encouraged him to decide to attract Jesuit missionaries from 1614 to help establish colonies in New France.
Champlain’s terrestrial maps of 1608, 1613 and 1637 present gradual syntheses of the assiduous reconnaissance in a New World he visited over in twenty voyages, each giving greater materiality to the project of exploring and settling New France. The intense return to map-making suggests a new attempt to define the primacy of a Francophone version of the medium of maps, as well as to seek increased funding and support of his own voyages and contact with natives in the New World. If Champlain was indeed raised as a Huguenot, as suggested in archival research of baptismal records which place his family in La Rochelle, it is striking that his detailed map distinctly privileged the legibility of the New World more than the maps he drew on the basis of his earlier voyages to the Barbadoes and Indies as commander of a Spanish ship: the detailed prospect that they presented for exploring lines of contact with Natives placed him among the Huguenot ministers Henri IV cultivated to develop his kingdom’s economy and infrastructure, but to do so in the new setting of New France, much as the Sieur de Monts, a Calvinist, had been granted the rights to the territory of Acadia (Nova Scotia), by Henri IV, “to cultivate, to cause to be peopled, and to search for gold and silver mines from the forty-sixth to the fortieth degree North latitude,” despite his Calvinism–enjoining him to teach Catholicism to the Micmac natives. (It also placed him in a coterie of suspected reformists who include Ortelius, among those who stressed the transparency of the map as a printed text.) The religious background of Champlain may be striking, given his close cooperation with Jesuits and other orders, but seems echoed his sailing with Récollet missionaries in 1615, a small group of reformed Friars Minor repressed in the French Revolution, who arrived in Quebec City, and only later with Jesuit missions in Acadia and in Ontario and Quebec from 1609. (The Récollet were far more hopeful of introducing French customs to Amerindians than their Jesuits brethren.)
The image of New World natives indeed strongly contrast to the striking image he had earlier described, when sailing to Santo Domingo as commander of a Spanish ship, of the horrors of witnessing burning of unconverted natives–no doubt a scene that haunted him–and provided a model for cultivating new models of exchange in New France.
The stunning and particularly striking image from the Brief Discours documented the torture of natives who did not convert to Catholicism at the hands of the Spanish, “Indians Burned by the Inquisition,” must have stuck in Champlain’s mind as an opposition of pagan and European–he argued the “evil treatment” that caused Indians to flee to the hills at the Spaniards’ approach, he noted in a manuscript in collections of the John Carter Brown Library. In contrast, existing intermarriage among natives and French sailors created less of a duality of otherness if not a greater appreciation of cultural difference.
The 1598-1601 manuscript “Breif discours” about his travels to the Indies included a prized description of the local dragons that Champlain described as indigenous to the region, as Susan Danforth of the John Carter Brown has also noted, whose care reveals his deep attention to preserving a record based most likely on native accounts–“dragons of strange shape, having a head approaching to that of an eagle, wings like a bat, a body like a lizard and only two rather large feet, the tail somewhat scaly” who are in appearance “as large as a sheep, but not dangerous, and do no harm to anybody, though to see them one would say the contrary.” While Champlain probably did not see these dragons, pictured in his manuscript below, they were a central to his description, and his care at their description echoed the interest in fantastic creatures in the New World, which later informed his later striking descriptions of the Gougou in the Bay of Chaleur, a “terrible monster” male but “in the form of a woman, but very frightful, and so large that the masts of a sailing vessel would not reach [her] waist” which “possessed pockets” on her body where the Gougou stored its captives before eating them.
If his account is only slightly incredible, Champlain similarly trusted his native informants accounts of the Gougou, from whom several natives told him of their escape, and others of having heard the Gougou’s “horrible noises” as they passed by its home: “What makes me believe what they say,” Champlain wrote, “is the fact that all the savages fear it, and tell such strange things about it that if I were to record all they say it would be regarded as a myth; but I hold that this is the dwelling place of some devil that torments them”–translating the legend into a Christian cosmology, as much as in credulous tones. He did not draw the Gougou in his maps, but readily included information from a range of local informants.
Although Champlain’s continued dependence on native informants, including the Montaignais and Etechemani, depicted in the 1608 map as we have seen. Their relation to the French were no doubt closer than many may have realized: members of these tribes who allied with the French increasingly may have intermarried with French settlers, becoming the first New World allies of French after their decisive conclusion of peace in 1603–described in the Museum of Civilization as the first durable peace with New World natives. The treaty must have blurred such clear oppositions among natives brooked by earlier cartographers, if they did not explicitly return to the map as collaborators or co-authors if not guides. His subsequent dependence on native informants may have further encouraged by the intermarriage of Montaignais and Etechemani, the New World allies of French from 1603, with traders and sailors, and led Champlain to dignify them as noble warriors–and to study their arts of oratory, politics, and political order, as well as their dress. The cartouche blurred such clear oppositions, increasing the subjectivity of these warriors more as objects of curiosity than as collaborators or co-authors of his maps.
Indeed, they suggest Champlain’s hope to pursue a lucrative trade in furs that Cartier hoped to secure. For Champlain, the map was a complex and subtle register to mediate his own encounter with New World. Indeed, the rich detail of the maps of the Dieppe school, like the fantastic maps of mountains of Nutmeg and Cinnamon in the imaginary continent of Java la Grande conjured in maps of the Dieppe school–discussed in an earlier post–may have lead Champlain to promote equivalent trading routes, and map the imagined wealth of trade routes that would nurture an imagined French empire, and to place images of sought-after beavers and otters which populate the surface of he prepared in his 1612 map.
Similar dreams of trade motivated the creation of these promotional atlases to win sponsorship and support of future voyages, to an extent realized when Champlain gained far more extensive privileges and support to expand the fur trade. The engraved maps Champlain composed during over twenty voyages to the New World turn attention from the charting of routes of sea-travel where France might establish a seat of maritime investigation to upriver trade on what is now the St. Lawrence or “rivière de Canada.”
His maps from 1613 most always were left rivers as the St. Lawrence and Hudson Bay conveniently open-ended, as if to suggest the possibility of linking areas of trade and bodies of water by transcontinental navigation along a North-West passage that responded to his charge, and secured further voyages in the New World he increasingly adopted as his charge and of which he became raconteur and rapporteur. In seeking to establish trade with native peoples led him to travel for reasons of commerce, as much as exploration, he charted advantageous sites for dominating the fur-trade from the Saguenay to the St. Lawrence, and inland to the lakes later named the Huron, Erie and Ontario, of which he learned from Native informants, encountering natives on the great river who remembered Cartier’s arrival and capture of their chief almost seventy years earlier but were eager to cultivate trading ties, choosing the city of Stadacona as a center of trade and describing its lands as uninhabited. Champlain’s far more expansive map of 1613 presented a comprehensive case for joining the nautical exploration of the shores, with their rich marine fish, to travels into the interior, with its rich traffic in beaver pelts, on an accurate meridian; it also prefigured Champlain would continued to seek greater trading routes in the interior after his 1615 journeys to the Hudson Bay, even if he discovered the ruse of a direct route to Cathay, traveling up the Ottawa River to Lake Nipissing and the Georgian Bay in Lake Huron, and crossing Lake Ontario–regions that his 1608 map show as open for settlement, minimizing the local presence of native nomadic tribes.
The alliance that Champlain formed with Montaignais and Etchemin [Algonquin] tribes from provided a turning point in introducing native informants into maps of New France, and indeed in the mapping of New France as a community open to French trade. When Champlain turned up the St. Lawrence to gain dominance in the pelt trade from the Dutch and English, he depended on Native guides. He had admired the Iroquois for their navigational skills–he relied on the sailing skills he had learned in France’s coast. But as he increasingly dedicated himself to inland mapping for possible commerce routes, focussing on the riverine paths that he would open to trading for fur pelts, exploring what would be the St. Lawrence and its tributaries, traveling upriver to found the city of Montreal. There is some evidence of how Champlain relied increasingly on native interlocutors to determine place-names in his map; his subsequent founding of Ottawa–perhaps as his sites had shifted.
The more expansive and detailed 1618 map of New France, meant to accompany an account in his 1619 Voyages of his travails and unsuccessful battles against native peoples while attempting to discover a Northwest Passage that obsessed him from 1615, and provide a tantalizing teaser of potential routes to continue to explore, as much as it describes a region which he had become such a primary informant. The map printed in 1619 in Paris staked out an argument for continuing to fund his successive voyages not only of exploration but of potential commerce, leaving open much of the possibility of arriving at a route to the Orient and China across polar ice as a hint of future riches that he wanted to pursue. Champlain’s 1619 “La Nouvelle France,” engraved in Paris, narrated his own exploration of the region in detail through 1618, now focussing on his travails in the course of exploration; the Voyages describe unsuccessful battles with Native Americans as a tale of frustration and self-sacrifice in enlarging the surface of the map for French readers at a new stage in their mission of settling the New World.
Whereas Champlain had charted French towns on the coasts of his first voyages of 1598 and 1602 with Francophone toponyms as Port Royal in the current Prince Edward Country or Sante-Croix between 1604 and 1605, the maps mirror his decisive move inland and engage native inhabitants and guides in founding cities from Quebec in the voyage of 1608. And in later periods, Champlain engage the Iroquois at Lake Champlain in 1619 to modern Montreal and Ottawa in his later travels with the Huron guides to lake Ontario of 1615, meeting the “Cheveaux-Relevés” (Odawa), whose painted and pierced faces Champlain noted, as he offered their chief a hatchet in exchange for a map drawn on tree-bark with charcoal of the expanse of the region around the Georgian Bay (III: 43-5), in what they took as a symbol of their future alliance, most likely, rather than the securing of a new trade route.
The title and inclusion of a topical notion of cartography Champlain practiced in this ‘chorography’ of New France contrast with the abstract universalist perspective associated with early modern maps. It is interesting to observe some connections between Champlain’s own ethnographic perspective in the charts drawn when had sailed to the Indies and Santo Domingo, serving commander as a ship of his uncle which was leased for a voyage to the “Indies” in 1599-1600, and whose “Brief discours” provided a model he expanded upon in the far more extensive geographic cartographies he executed of New France for the French King. While the map of Santo Domingo recalls a book of islands, the mapping of New France suggests less a bound area of trade, so much as a region of continued engagement.
There is another continuity with the maps he drew of the Indies in the late sixteenth century. Each provided a detailed account of the economic advantages of each site he explored–including the notation of the suitability of copper mines or existence of gold–revealing their deep reliance on a material culture of New World goods, as in this rendering of the Cassava.
Champlain famously even included a rendering of a New World dragon–boasting it was completely harmless despite its appearance, as if to create interest in the beast–indicating what would be a longstanding curiosity in recording foreign fruits or animals in naturalistic detail. Champlain’s work reflects keen interest both in the marketing of New World goods–copper mines or the availability of gold; beaver pelts; marine seals; horseshoe-crabs–and a sites of raspberries or cod, potential products of economic value, if not curiosities that demonstrated knowledge of the terrain. In the cartouche in the lower boundary of his 1608 map of New France, appear images of almost botanical naturalism for readers hungry for pictorial detail on natural curiosities and material goods:
Champlain’s maps of the Bay of Fundy and eastern seaboard, drawn as he searched for sites of potential cities in three years of intense chart-making along the Atlantic coast in Acadia, and sailing from Cape Cod to Maine, and before his later voyages turned from nautical to terrestrial cartography, tracing the inland riverine paths, were long focussed on regions that the French crown determined were of economic interest. The equation of the ‘voyage’ with ‘the savage’ raises multiple questions, however, as much as reveal his skills of terrestrial hydrography, both about the medium of the map, and the roles maps played between travel literature and a concerted program to promote New World trade for which France was eager.
The Royal Hydrographer engaged an established model for mapping in print by noting the rivers that created an area of future commerce and trading in mapping New France. In the same year that Bougereau’s Le Theatre francoys (1594) delineated hydrographic routes of travel and the borders of the principal fluvial basins, for readers, demonstrating courses of travel and commerce as sources of the country’s nourishment and “natural ornament” by its detailed hydrography, which had challenged both royal cartographers as Jolivet or the valet de chambre et geographe ordinaire de roi in his surveys of the Bourbonnais, and to encompass the hydrographic network that united regions of trade so important to Henry IV and his ministers, and may have led Louis XIV from 1665 to later fund the construction of a Canal du Midi linking the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Bougereau’s maps already focussed on the network of commerce that rivers enabled in the realm as they knit together regions whose inhabitants were bitterly divided by confessions:
If Oronce Finé, Nicolas and Bougeraux sought to create a united chorographic image of the religiously divided nation, as Peters has argued in Mapping Discord, their precedents of hydrographic mapping certainly created a dynamic charge for crafting a chorography of the French presence in the New World. If rivers and fluvial networks were the central focus of the more detailed chorographic images that royal cartographers delineated in France, the river as a source of trade and network of exploration among native nomadic tribes was thematized in Champlain’s maps. Indeed, the river became the central vehicle of transport and terrestrial portage, as Champlain and a small body of French men adopted the vehicle of the canoe to move from Tadoussec, the major post for previous fur-trading, and Quebec, the city he had founded in the 1608 voyage, moving inland after obtaining the charge to “search for a free passage by which to reach the country called China” that he had gained in 1612.
Champlain was convinced in the form of a Northern Sea, probably based on responses from Native guides to his questions about the river’s paths and its relation to the great salt-water body that they described. His attempts to seek protection of trade routes led to increased siding with Huron and Algonquin natives against the Iroquois, traveling up the St. Lawrence by boat and abandoning his large ships to move to native-made canoes from 1613, traveling in the Great Lakes and up what is now the Ottawa River, reaching the Georgian Bay using native crafts of canoes to cross the network of rivers and lakes, and by 1615 traveling up the Oneida River.
The notion of such a passage was already retained in Dutch global maps by de Jode, pictured below, but the inland route he hoped to obtain promised a more advantageous and direct route–much as Mercator, relying on Cartier, had drawn the Saguenay and St. Lawrence as extending to a freshwater body–“hic mare est dulcium aquarium, cujus terminum ignorari Canadenses ex relatu Saguenaiensium aiunt“–whose end was unknown to the natives on the Saguenay; Ortelius had showed the great lakes as extending to the Arctic Sea.
As Champlain came to trade with Huron, Algonquin, and Montagnais, he responded to their appeals to fight against the Iriquois in ways that expanded the charge he had gained to broker piece in 1612 Charter to become enmeshed in local conflicts, using gun-fire at the same time as he confronted the warrior skills of provoked Iroquois. The images that he drafted reveal an even greater level of violence to other images of the New World, dramatically documenting his immersion within local conflicts, as this description of resisting the attacks of Iriquois in 1608 printed in 1613; the image of Champlain holding his firearms against the Iroquois cast natives in a positive as allies, and placed Champlain in a heroic pose in a rare surviving image.
The native bows and canoes echoed images of Staden’s encounter in his popular travelogue, yet the far more sophisticated attention to their dress and customs reveal Champlain’s attention to their culture and society to a far greater extent, evident in the attention to the Algonquin in his writings of 1615-17, pictured below Staden’s earlier woodcut images:
The detailed attention to the particulars of their costume and dress, formal postures, and family structures provided a detailed map of their society as befit allies he cultivated for the French monarchy, and whom he would increasingly depend upon as he continued to seek new routes to expand French settlement inland along the region’s rivers–as well as to seek a pathway to arriving at the Pacific through the frozen waters of the north. (Levi Strauss must have seen Champlain, indeed, as a sort of model for ethnographic observation, even if he attributed an elder Frenchman’s distaste for the Nambikwara to echoing Champlain’s remove from the customs of “les sauvages.”)
The map Champlain compiled by 1613 mapped his travels adopted the criteria of proof long applied to terrestrial maps , accurate meridians, and the emblems of his craft as cartographer–a surveyor’s compass and scale bar–which overshadowed the rhumb lines of charts, and reflected his new interest in a northern bay. The northwest passage that became the prime object of his 1615 westward journey in the map he made of his voyages in 1616, which, though not included in his 1619 Voyages, provided a convincing record of an open path to the north or northwest passage for which he had so assiduously searched, seems to have been encouraged by the natives from whom he sought increased assistance, and who provided him with the materials for an expanded trade that funded his successive New World voyages.
These maps of the Hudson Bay, region of Ontario, and great rivers across New France stand in contrast to the form of isolari, even as they borrow from them in showing the islands that cluster around the coast of New France. As he travelled inland on the St. Lawrence to the site of Quebec, the town of Champlain boasted in his journal with the zeal of the European that “all this lovely area was uninhabited,” as its residents had fled before the arrival of the French, and conveniently “abandoned it for fear of Iroquois raiders.” So it is not, perhaps, surprising, that the savages assumed a primary role in the marketing of this book, as did images of the same native peoples appear banished from the surface of Champlain’s maps of 1602 or 1613: the maps lacked inhabitants, and provided a sort of advertisement for future sites of trading posts with Francophone Catholic names, in contrast to the 1638 map’s display of Native settlements and “nations” or “petites nations,” and detailed images of the Algonquin and their customs, dress, and families.
So much was probably what viewers had come to expect from a map of the New World–as well as because of the fact that the importance of securing the fur trade from the early 17th century led the French to enter into a longtime war between Native Peoples in the hopes to protect trading routes. The more expansive and elegant “Carte Geographique de la Nouvelle France par le Sieur de Champlain, . . . Cappitaine Ordinaire Pour le Roy en la Marine” of 1612 would also banish most all of the native inhabitants from the territory it depicted, as if to erase the very wars that he had begun, moving them to the status of curiosities in separate parts of a cartouche. By that time, a royal charter gave him licence to negotiate alliances in the name of the monarch, and he more openly charted the open lands that his privilege from the King had charged him to explore. The map commanded assent from readers in new ways that extended Champlain’s own bid for authority of organizing routes of trade in the New World. After returning to the Bay of Fundy, founding the French city of Port-Royal on the coast of Nova Scotia in 1605, as a new site for the St.-Croix island settlement in 1604, as a seat for the French in the New World. After three years of intense chart-making along the Atlantic coast in Acadia for seats for colonies from Cape Cod to Maine–he visited Cape Cod twice in reconnaissance voyages to the “beau port” of what is now Gloucester during the summers 1605 and 1606 to search for further sites for possible trade and explored possible areas of settlement in the Bay of Fundy.
After mapping options and noting their advantages, he turned from charting sites for possible trading posts on the coasts, all of which met with limitations, to mapping courses of trade along riverine paths by which he could gain advantage over Dutch or English traders through the alliances he developed with the region’s inhabitants. Champlain proceeded up the river after growing disillusioned after having no further suitable sites for colonies on the Atlantic in previous voyages and eager to map out a route for further trade. His later famous voyage of 1608 led him to sail inland up the St. Lawrence where in June sought to found a French base beyond the treading post of Tadoussac at the Saguenay River’s mouth, and followed Cartier’s route north seeking dominance in the fur trade with his new Montaignais and Etchemin allies, and later with the Huron and Odawa peoples.
As the later itineraries of his over 20 voyages turned from nautical to riverine paths, Champlain seems to have interacted even more with native guides to explore his potential course. Did this create a lack of trust between him and his interlocutors, as he sought to develop an authoritative record of potential trading routes? There must have been some ambivalence with which he engaged native peoples as he moved up the St. Lawrence river, entering the territory with a group of men he came to call “sauvages” in his Journals, even as he allied with them. The term “sauvages” had far less to do with Champlain’s personal perceptions than the currency that the image of the savage had gained in early modern France, and as talismen of the New World. Champlain was dependent on native indications and advice as he sailed upstream in Cartier’s footsteps: his immersion in native culture on the river, rather than on his ocean-bound craft, surely marked a shift in his attitudes perhaps visible in maps he drafted after his manuscripts: by the 1638 map, he not only noted native habitations with interest, but described the precise locations of the “nation of the Algomequins [Algonquins]” or the “nations of Montaignais,” French names for local nomadic tribes; Champlain acknowledged their own possession of territory, reflecting both the durable treaties he had made with them and assigning their fixed sites of habitation in an unprecedented manner by recognizing their spatial location on his 1638 map.
Mapping the settlement of Canada by the natives they called Montaignais, Etechemins, and Iroquois became central to the project of mapping the rivers and coasts of New France, and particularly as important an artery of trade as the river known as the St. Lawrence, much as it was central to the understanding of the New World in later periods.
Although it is difficult to know what sort of help natives provided in mapping the interior of modern Ontario, it is instructive to examine a later map that an unidentified Chickasaw mapmaker presented to the Governor of Carolina that described the situation of native nations near the banks of the Mississippi River, in this copy of a map “Drawn upon a Deer Skin by an Indian Cacique and Presented to Francis Nicholson Esqr. Governour of Carolina,” covering some 700,000 square miles from Texas to New York around 1723. The unidentified Chickasaw mapmaker distinguished each native nation that inhabited the region in relation to local rivers–and notes the tribes allied with the French who surrounded the Chickasaw:
Did Champlain encounter similar oral descriptions of different nations, or did he translate these terms into French? This Chickasaw map of about a century later demarcated the positions of native residences primarily in relation to the river, noting natives allied with the French by a simple “F”:
The Algonquin relations about the upper St. Lawrence on which Champlain depended were later mapped, but must have included considerable information about neighboring tribes. After Champlain had left his ships and traveled inland, he had deepened his relations with the native guides who took him on the “Iriquois trail” up the river. He was drawn further inland out of the need to reach further inland trading posts to secure advantages in the fur trade, as much as exploration; but perhaps his attitudes shifted as he traveled beyond the trading post of Tadoussec in his 1608 voyage from France, and adopted native place-names, perhaps reflecting some dependence on local guides. In fact, he seems to have come to adopt Native names for the first time in his cartographical career, arriving at a narrowing of the river [“Kebec” = “where the river narrows”] where he chose to found a city of trade whose cliffs could be adequately defended, and choosing it to translate into French.
He described the site of the future city as abandoned, perhaps by natives who fled the Iroquois: in fact, the place was deserted after Small Pox devastations. Quebec was the third city he founded in the New World: “I could not find any more suitable or better situated than the point of Quebec [at July 3 1608], so called by the natives, which was covered with nut-trees.”
The arrival of the French paradoxically had earlier both cleared the map of the Native inhabitants he had come to call “Sauvages,” much as he had renamed the cities in New France with Christian place-names in his very first chart-like maps:
As Champlain grew enmeshed with the rivalries of native informants who defined the project of mapping and the larger still project, never completed, of actualizing deep belief in the ability to reach Pacific Ocean and an imagined route to Cathay–and the maps seem to reveal this search for a North-West passage–probably on the basis of what informants told him about a river that opened to an ocean, either the Mississippi or Hudson, or perhaps a sort of white lie.
Champlain was similar intermediary, converting local knowledge of riverine paths and lakes to his own land-charts, and trying to exploit local knowledge to discover a North-West passage that had eluded the English or Dutch, but which Iroquois or Huron led him to believe: this was in a sense the real war that he had engaged in, struggling for more exact knowledge of the land.
The famous woodcut images by which he narrated his own involvement in what was the beginning of the Iroquois War in 1608–the first sustained military engagement with native inhabitants in which France remained so long involved. The images reveal the extent to which, as a royal hydrographer, Champlain knew well natives’ experience in canoes as tools of river-navigation–the careful detail was no doubt in part a reference to his own mapping skills, presumably to recall his dependence on native guides, moving between the native world and providing new information for future trade routes to the naval officials at the French court who might encourage future voyages.
There must have been a degree of ambivalence in the elevation of the “savage” or “sauvage” for Champlain. Historians have suggested that he used the term to refer to his guides and the natives who accompanied him on the “Iroquois trail,” as they ate raw meat, and as he introduced his young twelve year old French bride to the men with whom he did regular business. His riverine navigations were the basis of the travels that occasioned the narrative, of contact with fur traders and exploration of what would be the Great Lakes, on which he was assisted by numerous guides, but whose inhabitation of local areas he had earlier regularly omitted. Natives sketched the routes of rivers and travel in the sand and on birch bark: Champlain learned the lay-out of local hydrography from them, and probably not only achieved his migration up the St. Lawrence but gained increased convictions of a route to Cathay that lured him up the river further, as informants described the sort of river that opened to the Ocean that he must have sought to question them in order to find. When he followed the river past modern Ottawa in canoes, by portages between rivers and lakes, traveling past Allumettes Island to Lake Nipissing, Lake Ontario and Lake Huron after 1615, in search of the great salt-water sea Hudson Bay, he appears to incorporated sketches from local mapmakers in his maps, as the somewhat odd rectangular islands from his 1632 “Carte de la Nouvelle France, augmenteé . . . par le Sr. de Champlain, captaine de le Roy [Map of New France, expanded since the previous one, by Sieur de Champlain, Captain for the King]”–a map which, despite its greater accuracy, depended on native sketches for lands west of Montreal, or to the north in the Hudson Bay.
Is there a chance that Native Peoples convinced him of the path for a what became later known as the “North-West Passage,” eager to appease him in his search to discover a path that would bring further economic wealth to France as an empire?
The New France that he surveyed on these travels was striking not only for its extension to the interior, but filled a similar taste for depicting the inhabitants at first-hand that he had removed from the land itself that he surveyed. The map seems also hopeful of a Western opening to water, and suggests a rich alluvial plain in the Americas. The image of an unending plain of voyage continued until the early eighteenth century, when cartographers noted that “The country is laid out in such a way that by means of the St. Lawrence one can travel everywhere inland, thanks to the lake which leads to its source in the West and the rivers that flow into it along its shores, opening the way to the North and the South,” Jean Talon wrote in 1670 to the French monarch, echoing the North-West passage Champlain sought to indicate in leaving open the “Mer du Nort Glacialle” to which boats cold easily arrive.
Champlain’s maps of both 1612, 1618 and 1635 suggest a combine the rhumb lines of nautical cartography and surveyor’s tools, and present geographic maps as of considerably increased precision, the final of which portrayed New France “on the true Meridian” that combined the accuracy of topical mapping of New France’s topography while describing the advantages of nautical access that New France offered, in ways that continue to echo the cartographical imaginary of an isolario or book of islands, to which he almost rendered the Great Lakes as an extension.
A sign of his whole-heartedly identification of himself with the construction of his 1632 map may lie in the common interpretation of the centrally-located image of the sun’s face as a concealed portrait Champlain, a center from which rays spread across the map’s surface as if to illuminate the complex coastline and the detailed network of rivers and lakes in its interior.
The image of New France that was transmitted in the work of Nicolas Sanson from Champlain’s work effectively erased any analogous ethnographic components, although Sanson retained the toponomy of native towns in New France that still often survives.
Yet Champlain’s terrestrial mapping of the region’s future settlement is his legend. The surveying instrument or mariner’s astrolabe of French manufacture found near the Ottawa River in Muskrat Lake, and dating from the early seventeenth century that is enshrined at the Museum of Civilization under glass as a treasure, believed to have been used by Champlain to perform sightings for his survey of the region–and a talisman of his ability to transform multiple sightings to a surface of uniform continuity–is preserved in Ottawa’s Museum of Civilization under glass as a material relic of mapping of New France; although its provenance is impossible to substantiate, its seventeenth-century instrument of surveying is presented as the medium of Champlain’s is relation to the project of mapping New France.
No image of Samuel de Champlain exists, but the image of the explorer popularized in prints as the below, that imagine native witnesses to his expertise as in awe of the terrestrial surveying he performed to chart his entry, as if to erase his own role in helping Champlain map the region. His awe is perhaps a reflection of Champlain’s ability to expand his nautical chart by meridians–and to assemble his inland map without clear base-lines.
The engraving of course erased or whitewashed dependence on Native informants and their knowledge of the river. By evoking unknowing amazement at Champlain’s instrument, the notion is to mythologize his acquisition of the country through a map–a classic if all too familiar 19th-century narrative of modern competence and expertise.
The narrative was launched in part by his inscription of the lake bearing his name in the map.
If there are traces that Champlain left of his encounters all over the surface of the map of 1612, traces of the encounter are prominently celebrated in Burlington, Vermont, site of Lake Champlain and Champlain College, where recent interest on the relation of the namesake of the Lake–and celebration of his relatively enlightened contact with native peoples–are commemorated in multiple banners (and maps) that decorate the local airport.
As befits the proposal of expanded commercial traffic in the territory of New France, in his map of the region Champlain embedded multiple sightings native animals traded there on its surface–otters and beavers, whose pelts were particularly valued, and whales or native fruits–encouraging readers to peer into the content of the map’s surface they scanned for further natural curiosities.
But unlike the fairly fantastic sea-creatures depicted with abundance in sea charts, the marine seals, beavers, otters, horseshoe-crabs and other local curiosities in his 1632 map transform what was known as a “frozen wilderness” of little interest to the French court into a surface of abundance and copious meaning, and land of commercial plenty.
But it was the inhabitants of the land that Champlain knew–his informants–that were in part his cartographic assistants as well, and are depicted in greatest detail, but wearing costumes to separate and distinguish them from the French readers of Champlain’s maps, but offered an object of wonder at which to gaze at the inhabitation of New France that the map revealed: but from objects of wonder who participated in the crafting of the map, however, the native inhabitant were effect transformed to subjects of conversion.
In preparing this post, I was inspired by an exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization/Musée des civilizations in Ottawa CA, Moving with the River. Any and all errors in my discussion of Champlain’s maps are of course my own; the maps of Champlain’s travels depicted in this post appear on the Museum’s website. I’ve also adopted passages of the recent editions of Des Sauvages in Samuel de Champlain before 1604, ed. Conrad E. Heidenreich and K. Janet Ritch (2010). | <urn:uuid:1724a5d9-9eee-4072-aad8-d076c981fca8> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://dabrownstein.com/category/nautical-charts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886117519.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170823020201-20170823040201-00009.warc.gz | en | 0.968144 | 13,108 | 3.765625 | 4 |
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day June 2019
Planetary Abuse……Elder Abuse
A Solidarity Walk and Awareness Raising on the Climate Crisis and its impact on Seniors world wide and locally
Date: June 20, 2019.
13:00 -14:00 Meet in Cabot Square (Atwater Metro, across from
14:00-15:00 Solidarity walk down St. Catherine’s Street
15:00-17:00 Meet at EV Bldg. Concordia University 11th floor (1515 St.
Catherine W.) for talks and exchanges between scientists, activists and
We welcome seniors from community centres, family, friends and
activists to join our Solidarity Walk. Bring your umbrellas, sun hats and
banners. Let’s break our collective silence and fight the climate crisis
that affects us all!
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day June 2019 Planetary Abuse……Elder Abuse Connecting the Dots Early in the summer of 2018, Montreal suffered a deadly heat wave. Like many other cities, Montreal faced scorching temperatures. The heat claimed 66 lives, 43 of which were seniors. In a report from the Director General of Public Health analyzing the heat wave, Dr. Mylène Drouin identified two factors that made someone more susceptible to the rising temperatures: social isolation and a previously diagnosed chronic disease. The elderly are more likely to suffer from both. The tragedies of the 2018 heat wave happened in a flash. Montreal suffers from an average 8 days of over 30 degree C temperatures. According to the Climate Atlas of Canada, the average number of unbearably hot days between 2021 and 2050 is 23. If 66 people died last year with only 8 scorching days, consider how many would suffer with a heat wave with almost three times its length. “Without strong commitments to include older people and other vulnerable groups in decision making and the development of targeted strategies to adapt to a changing climate, they will be further marginalised and pushed to the edge of safety and survival. The full participation of people of all ages in these strategies is essential to their success.” -Help Age International This year RECAA draws attention to the impact of the climate crisis on seniors globally and locally. Floods, fires, droughts, and extreme weather conditions are daily events that have devastating consequences for millions of elders. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines and to consider this irreversible. RECAA has spent more than 15 years raising awareness of the hidden, wide spread mistreatment of seniors, aiding them to “Break the Silence” and to stand together against this continuing abuse of the elderly in our society. On June 20th let’s add our actions against Elder Abuse resulting from Planetary Abuse!
For more information: RECAA, (514)-746-5960, [email protected] | <urn:uuid:333907a4-f064-45f5-b780-147e03d5f737> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://actproject.ca/event/solidarity-walk-to-stop-planetary-abuseplanetary-abuse-elder-abuse-connecting-the-dots/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251728207.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20200127205148-20200127235148-00522.warc.gz | en | 0.921081 | 587 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Explain what articles are and how they function in a sentence.
Explain how to determine correct article usage and the difference between “the” and “a/an” (definite and indefinite articles)
This packet should help a learner seeking to understand English grammar and who is confused about the difference between definite and indefinite articles.
Articles (a, an, the) help clarify your meaning, and omitting an article can confuse your audience. Articles help give classification to words and idea. They are found before nouns and help to classify what noun you are talking about.
Look at the following sentence:
A friend and helper stood nearby.
With the addition of (a) in-between and/helper, we have a completed different meaning.
A friend and a helper stood nearby.
Next, we'll look at how to use articles.
Source: Ben Creagh
The indefinite articles a and an classify the singular nouns they precede. Use a before a consonant sound (a yard, a university). Use an before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour).
Here are some examples of when an indefinite article is used
With the first mention of a noun: Use an indefinite article when you introduce a singular noun for the first time.
I bought a writing journal for my English class.
With the expletive there: Use an indefinite article when you introduce a topic that includes a singular noun.
There is a good reason for practicing your English.
For a generalization: When you are referring to a singular noun in a general way, use an indefinite article.
A journal is a notebook for you to write in.
If a noun is plural or if it cannot be counted, no article is needed.
Journals are useful.
Writing is an important skill.
The definite article the can precede singular or plural nouns. It is used for identification.
The students in the class write in their journals daily.
The students referred to in this sentence are indentified as specific students. The definite article is used for identification in the following common contexts.
For a subsequent mention: Once a noun has been introduced, use the definite article to refer backto it.
I wrote an entry about bikes. The entry included facts about the sizes, models, prices and styles of bikes.
For shared knowledge: When reference is to something that is part of common knowledge, use the definite article.
One teacher asked her students to write about the moon.
For abstract classes: The is used with the noun that refers to an abstract class.
The writer’s journal has become a mainstay in the composition classroom.
As you can see there a lot of uses for articles, but do not worry. Most of the time, the article that sounds natural will be in the correct form.
Source: Glenn, Cheryl, et all. Hodges' Harbrace Handbook. Wadsworth, Massachusetts: Thomson Wadsworh, 2004. | <urn:uuid:e42f5df7-18cd-40ee-8b76-b579edc33f30> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/article-usage--4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934807044.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20171123233821-20171124013821-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.915984 | 620 | 4.125 | 4 |
Type of Item
Carpathian Ruthenia. Ceramics
This image is part of an album probably published in about 1920 that contains 20 photographs of scenes in Carpathian Ruthenia, a mountainous region, most of which was part of the Austria-Hungary before World War I, but which became part of the new Czechoslovak state in 1919. Today the largest portion of it forms Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, with smaller parts in Slovakia and Poland. Ceramics have been one of the crafts of Carpathian Ruthenia for centuries, as the region has large deposits of kaolin (china clay). Decorated pottery ...
Ornaments of Domestic Industry: Ruthenian Peasant Metalwork
Vzory promyslu domashnogo vyroby metalevi selian na Rusi (Ornaments of domestic industry: Ruthenian peasant metalwork) is one of a series of books published by the Industrial Museum in L’viv (present-day Ukraine), this one appearing in 1882. The explanatory text appears in Polish, Ruthenian (a predecessor of modern Ukrainian), German, and French, and it highlights the art and aesthetic taste shown in everyday objects. The book’s focus is the Hutsuls, a people of the Carpathian Mountains, mainly in western and southwestern Ukraine, but also northern Romania and eastern Poland ... | <urn:uuid:fec32c5b-33ad-4513-a9be-d4d2cdd87950> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.wdl.org/en/search/?additional_subjects=Folk%20art | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010216492/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305090336-00082-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926238 | 296 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Part of the answer to how and why primates differ from other mammals, and humans differ from other primates, may lie in the repetitive stretches of the genome that were once considered “junk.”
A new study by researchers at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine finds that when a particular type of repetitive DNA segment, known as an Alu element, is inserted into existing genes, they can alter the rate at which proteins are produced — a mechanism that could contribute to the evolution of different biological characteristics in different species. The study was published in the Feb. 15 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
“Repetitive elements of the genome can provide a playground for the creation of new evolutionary characteristics,” said senior study author Yi Xing, Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine and biomedical engineering, who holds a joint appointment in the UI Carver College of Medicine and the UI College of Engineering. “By understanding how these elements function, we can learn more about genetic mechanisms that might contribute to uniquely human traits.”
Alu elements are a specific class of repetitive DNA that first appeared about 60 to 70 million years ago during primate evolution. They do not exist in genomes of other mammals. Alu elements are the most common form of mobile DNA in the human genome, and are able to transpose, or jump, to different positions in the genome sequence. When they jump into regions of the genome containing existing genes, these elements can become new exons — pieces of messenger RNAs that carry the genetic information.
Although scientists have known for more than a decade that these Alu elements are an important source of new exons in the human genome, it has been more difficult to determine if these new exons are biologically important.
“It’s been hard to say whether these Alu-derived exons actually do anything on a genome-wide level,” Xing said. “Our new study says they do – they affect protein production by altering the efficiency with which messenger RNA is translated into protein.”
Xing noted that in other circumstances, altering the rate of protein production can cause disease, meaning that a mechanism that can affect protein production can have a real impact on the characteristics of an organism.
“This would not be the only mechanism that might differentiate humans from other primates, but our study suggests that the creation of new exons from Alu elements is an important process that contributes to those differences,” Xing said.
The UI team, including co-first authors Shihao Shen, doctoral student in the Department of Biostatistics; and Lan Lin, Ph.D., associate in the Department of Internal Medicine, made use of data from a new technology called high throughput RNA sequencing to analyze more than 120 million RNA sequences from human cerebellum. Using this data, the team was able to quantify how often Alu-derived exons were included in the mature RNA sequences, which provide the final blueprint for protein production, and where they were inserted in the genes.
“What we found is that these exons tend to avoid protein-coding regions of the genes and rather they end up in the non-coding region that precedes the protein-coding region, called the five prime untranslated region or 5′ UTR,” Xing explained. “This is the part of the gene that usually contains regions that help control the stability of the messenger RNA and the efficiency at which the messenger RNA is translated into protein.”
Experiments to probe the function of these newly inserted elements proved that Alu exons in this region are able to alter the efficiency of messenger RNA translation, which means they affect how fast protein is produced from the altered genes.
The study also suggests that the effect of the newly created exons might be amplified because of which genes were “targeted” by the Alu exons. The researchers found that Alu exons are highly enriched in genes that code for zinc-finger transcription factors — proteins that act as master regulators of gene expression and that previously have been linked to human and primate evolution. Because these transcription factors control the expression of thousands of other genes, any changes to the amount of transcription factor available would likely have a cascade effect on the downstream genes.
Source: Press Release | <urn:uuid:3ddebe20-bc41-45cd-b695-3eeed01c5e6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanbiotechnologist.com/blog/altering-protein-production/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708783242/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125303-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956812 | 895 | 3.859375 | 4 |
The tears shed by the sobbing masses across Venezuela following the death of President Hugo Chávez at age 58 are genuine. Many considered their late president a champion of the poor, while others viewed him a villain who ignored the law and trampled democratic principles when it suited him.
Both are right.
President Chávez rose to power by using his rhetorical gifts to tap the frustration of his nation's poor and powerless and making an enemy of the rich and comfortable. And indeed the gross economic equalities in Venezuela and its Latin American neighbors needed addressing.
His socialist revolution did bring quick relief in the form of increased welfare programs, expansive government health clinics in slums and impoverished rural areas, and state-run stores selling discounted food subsidized by the government. That an elected leader was so directly addressing their plight generated intense allegiance among his supporters.
To maintain that support, however, President Chávez saw it necessary to continually demonize the economically successful and corporations, whose investments are necessary to make a modern economy work. First elected in 1998, a decade into his presidency it was apparent the Chávez approach - government confiscation of businesses, nationalizing oil companies - was inhibiting Venezuela's economic growth and fueling unsustainable inflation.
Political opponents and uncooperative judges were jailed, the media co-opted to promote the president's propaganda. As the checks and balances provided by a healthy democracy eroded, corruption, crime and government inefficiency grew.
The transition to new leadership for Venezuela will be difficult. The government's policies, identity, and institutions are so tied to the cult of one personality - Chávez - that it is impossible to predict what will become of his "revolution." The Constitution calls for a quick election, but Vice President Nicolás Maduro, who assumed power, may have other ideas.
Depending on how the politics play out, it could provide an opportunity for the United States to reset its strained relations with Venezuela. The capitalist United States was a convenient foil for the populist president and the distrust was mutual, with successive U.S. administrations concerned President Chávez was pushing South America in the wrong direction. | <urn:uuid:e0a140a2-5859-4ce5-a32c-493a3ff94031> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://theday.com/article/20130307/OP01/303079562/1070/ENT/After-Ch%C3%A1vez | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1387345773230/warc/CC-MAIN-20131218054933-00001-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967215 | 430 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Superman memory crystal is a nanostructured glass for recording of 5-D digital data using femtosecond laser writing process. The memory crystal is capable of storing up to 360 terabytes worth of data for billions of years. The concept was experimentally demonstrated in 2013.
The concept is the bulk storing of data optically in non-photosensitive transparent materials such as fused quartz , which is renowned for its high chemical stability and resistance. Writing in it using a femtosecond-laser was first proposed and demonstrated in 1996. The storage media consists of fused quartz where the spatial dimensions , intensity, polarization , and wavelength are used to modulate data. By introducing gold or silver nanoparticlesembedded in the material, their plasmonic properties can be exploited.
Up to 18 layers have been tested with a pulse rate of 0.2 μJ, a duration of 600 fs and a repetition rate of 500 kHz. 20 ± 1 years at room temperature (30 ⁰C). Measuring the durability using accelerated aging measurements shows the time of the nanogratings is 3 × 10 At an elevated temperature of 189 ⁰C the extrapolated decay time is comparable to the age of the Universe ( 13.8 × 10 9 years ). By recording data with a numerical aperture objective of 1.4 NA and a wavelength of 250-350 nm, a capacity of 360 TBytes can be achieved.
- Orders of magnitude (data)
- Orders of magnitude (time)
- 3D optical data storage
- spiedigitallibrary.org: Eternal 5D data storage by ultrafast laser writing in glass (accessed 2016-04-27, dated 2016-03-04)
- Official 5D Memory Crystal website
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d Kazansky, P .; et al. (11 March 2016). “Eternal 5D data storage via ultrafast-laser writing in glass” . SPIE Newsroom.
- Jump up^ & The five dimensional consist of the size, orientation and the three-dimensional position of the nanostructures.
- Jump up^ ” ” Cristória de memória do Superman “armazenam até 360TB por 1 milhão de anos” . Terra. November 11, 2013 . Retrieved March 1, 2016 .
- Jump up^ Eternal 5D data storage could record the history of humankindpublished byUniversity of Southampton(2016)
- Jump up^ Superman memory crystal lets you store 360TB worth of databy Kevin Huebler, inCNBC(2016)
- Jump up^ 5D nanostructured quartz glass optical memory could provide ‘unlimited’ data storage for a million yearsby Jingyu Zhang et al (2013)
- Jump up^ “Superman memory crystal” could store hundreds of terabytes indefinitelyby Dario Borghino (2013)
- Jump up^ New ‘Superman’ Crystals can be seen for billions of yearsby Jethro Mullen atCNN-Tech(2016)
- Jump up^ Kazansky, Peter. “Nanostructures in glass will store data for billions of years” . SPIE Newsroom . Retrieved 11 March 2016 .
- Jump up^ 5D ‘Superman Memory’ crystal Could Lead to Lifetime unlimited data storagepublished on 9th July 2013 by university of southampton
- Jump up^ 5D Data Storage by Ultrafast Laser Nanostructuring in Glassby Jingyu Zhang, Mindaugas Gecevičius, Martynas Beresna and Peter G. Kazansky, published by “Optoelectronics Research Center” SO17 1BJ, Reino Unido (2013)
- Jump up^ New nanostructured glass for imaging and recording developedby Phys.org, provided byUniversity of Southampton(2011)
- Jump up^ IN Glezer, M. Milosavljevic, L. Huang, RJ Finlay T.-H. Her, JP Callan, E. Mazur, Three-dimensional optical storage inside transparent materials, Opt. Lett. 21, p. 2023-2025, 1996.
- Jump up^ M. Watanabe, S. Juodkazis, HB Sun, S. Matsuo, H. Misawa, M. Miwa, R. Kaneko, Transmission and Photoluminescence images of three-dimensional memory in vitreous silica,Applied Physics Letters74, p. 3957-3559, 1999. | <urn:uuid:17f35478-3720-4098-addb-17e844a3b83b> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://www.bigopendata.eu/superman-memory-crystal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655886121.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20200704104352-20200704134352-00573.warc.gz | en | 0.788229 | 978 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Pompeii comes into the records in the seventh century BCE, and more materially, in the sixth century. Dr. Ivo van der Graaff, Assistant Professor, University of New Hampshire, Durham, joins the show to discuss what scholars know about Pompeii in the sixth century BCE.
Listen to the episode
The episode can be streamed below and is also available on major podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
- Dr. van der Graaff is author of the monograph The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy (Routledge, 2018)
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open. | <urn:uuid:e0f3e7f8-9754-4f05-a8ca-ef12c2322142> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://ithacabound.com/podcast/pompeii-in-the-6th-century-bce-w-dr-ivo-van-der-graaff/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943809.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20230322114226-20230322144226-00142.warc.gz | en | 0.914756 | 137 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Nutrients 2013, 5(3), 949-956; doi:10.3390/nu5030949
Simon Vanlint simon.vanlint at adelaide.edu.au
Discipline of General Practice, School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, SA 5005, Australia
Received: 16 February 2013; in revised form: 12 March 2013 / Accepted: 14 March 2013 / Published: 20 March 2013
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin D and Human Health)
Obesity is a significant health problem world-wide, particularly in developed nations. Vitamin D deficiency is pandemic, and has been implicated in a wide variety of disease states. This paper seeks to examine the consistently reported relationship between obesity and low vitamin D concentrations, with reference to the possible underlying mechanisms. The possibility that vitamin D may assist in preventing or treating obesity is also examined, and recommendations for future research are made. There is a clear need for adequately-powered, prospective interventions which include baseline measurement of 25D concentrations and involve adequate doses of supplemental vitamin D. Until such studies have been reported, the role of vitamin D supplementation in obesity prevention remains uncertain.
Obesity, defined by the World Health Organisation as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more, is pandemic, affecting at least five million Australians and substantial numbers in most developed nations . If overweight (BMI 25-29.9) is included, then approximately 14 million Australians, and 70% of Americans aged over 60, are obese or overweight . Older people who have excess body fat accumulation face increased risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, and other co-morbidities [3-6]. It is imperative that modifiable risk factors for obesity be identified, particularly those which might be readily addressed.
There is a consistent association in the published literature between increasing BMI and lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D) concentrations. Early, smaller studies [7,8] reported an association
between obesity and low serum 25D concentrations, as well as high concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D). However, further, larger studies [9,10] found obesity to be associated with lower 25D concentrations, high PTH concentrations and low 1,25D concentrations. It has also been reported that body fat content is inversely related to serum 25D concentration, and that this associations is stronger than those between 25D and BMI and body weight . A bi-directional genetic study, which limits confounding, has suggested that higher BMI leads to lower 25D, with the effects of lower 25D on BMI likely to be small . The association between reduced 25D concentrations and obesity is therefore well-established, although the mechanisms for the lower 25D concentrations are not fully described, and there is uncertainty as to what the health consequences of these lower concentrations might be. This paper attempts to summarise the current state of knowledge regarding the causes of these reduced 25D concentrations, as well as the possible effects of vitamin D supplementation on obesity.
Vitamin D intake has been reported as being lower in obese men, but not women, when compared to their non-obese counterparts . Low calcium and D intake have also been associated with obesity in both men and women , but this association does not necessarily imply a causal relationship.
It is possible that obese individuals expose less skin to the sun less often than non-obese individuals, resulting in reduced synthesis of vitamin D. BMI, % body fat and sunbathing have been shown to be related in a population-based sample , although another study found no relationship in a study of individuals aged over 65 years. This latter finding may be explained by the known decline in cutaneous vitamin D synthetic capacity associated with age . It has also been noted that obesity results in larger body surface area , and thus could be expected to increase cutaneous vitamin D synthesis.
Concentrations of cutaneous 7-dehydrocholesterol (the substrate converted by ultraviolet light into previtamin D) appear not to vary between obese and non-obese individuals . The existence of sufficient synthetic capacity is implied by the reduced risk of low serum 25D concentrations associated with outdoor exercise in obese individuals .
Hypovitaminosis D is well-documented in those who have had bariatric or gastric bypass procedures, in which a malabsorptive state is deliberately induced [21,22], but there is no evidence that obesity itself results in reduced absorption of dietary vitamin D. Given that vitamin D is fat-soluble, and that calcium absorption has been shown to be increased in diets high in fats , it is unlikely that obesity affects vitamin D-calcium homeostasis through altered gut absorption.
1,25D acts to limit production of its precursor, 25D . Because early studies suggested that 1,25D concentrations were elevated in obese individuals, it was thought that this may lower 25D levels. Given that further, larger studies have suggested that 1,25D concentrations tend to be lower in obese individuals, this feedback mechanism is unlikely to be relevant. Adipose tissue (AT) in obese women expresses the enzymes for both the formation of 25D and its active metabolite, 1,25D and for degradation of vitamin D . Subcutaneous AT has also been found to have lower expression of one of the enzymes responsible for 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D (CYP2J2), as well as a tendency toward a decreased expression of the 1-a hydroxylase. These data suggest that both 25-hydroxylation and 1-a hydroxylation are impaired in obesity. In vitro studies have demonstrated that 1,25D inhibits adipogenesis and induces adipocyte apoptosis [26,27]. Under normal physiological conditions the serum 1,25D concentration is tightly regulated, yet there can be significant differences between 1,25D concentrations within different tissues owing to in situ production. These factors make interpretation of the clinical significance of in vitro studies very difficult.
Radio-labelling shows that 80% of vitamin D administered to rats is deposited rapidly in AT, from which it is then released very slowly . Liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy has shown a positive relationship between vitamin D in AT and serum 25D, consistent with AT being a storage site for 25D but not specifically implying sequestration . These laboratory findings are consistent with clinical studies in which equal ultraviolet irradiation and also equal oral doses of vitamin D resulted in a 57% lower increase in serum 25D concentrations in obese individuals compared non-obese .
Despite the hypotheses and findings outlined above, an elegant study of 686 community-dwelling individuals showed that a volumetric dilutional model accounted for essentially all the variability in serum 25D concentrations attributable to obesity. Even though the factors described above may be operative, they are effectively "captured" by body weight. Once serum 25D concentrations in obese individuals are adjusted for body size, there is no longer a difference between obese and non-obese individuals . The authors concluded that in obese individuals, vitamin D dosing for the treatment of deficiency should be based upon body weight, and calculated that an input of 70-80 IU/kg/day would be expected to produce serum 25D concentrations in the 75-100 nmol/L range.
Nuclear and membrane vitamin D receptors (VDRs) have been demonstrated in adipocytes, suggesting that AT is responsive to vitamin D . A variety of mechanisms by which vitamin D and/or calcium may influence adiposity and energy balance have been proposed , but interventional studies have thus far been inconclusive, at least in part due to methodological issues.
1,25D has been shown to have an in vitro anti-inflammatory effect on adipocytes, but the same study failed to demonstrate any reduction in systemic inflammatory markers in vivo in participants receiving 7000 IU oral vitamin D daily over an unspecified period . Without knowing the pre-treatment 25D concentrations of the participants or the duration of oral supplementation it is difficult to interpret these findings. Baseline 25D concentrations were examined in relation to prevalent and cumulative incident obesity in a study of 2460 adults. In addition to prevalent obesity, serum 25D concentrations below 50 nmol/L were significantly associated with new-onset obesity . Although this does not prove a causative effect, it is highly suggestive and warrants further clinical trials.
Vitamin D is critical for calcium metabolism, and it is difficult to separate the effects of vitamin D from those of calcium, and of the two given in combination. Changes in weight, visceral fat mass and visceral fat area were compared in obese college students assigned to either a calorie-restricted diet with or without calcium 600 mg plus vitamin D 125 IU daily for 12 weeks in an open-label study. There was no difference in weight change between the groups, although the supplementation group did exhibit significantly greater decreases in visceral fat mass and fat area . This study was limited by the very modest vitamin D dose used and the lack of baseline 25D measurement. Another randomised, double-blind 16-week study of 171 overweight and obese adults found that the addition of 1050 mg calcium with 300 IU of vitamin D daily was associated with a significant reduction in visceral adiposity compared with placebo . 25D concentrations were not measured. Secondary analysis of data from a population-based, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial of 1179 postmenopausal women designed to determine the effects of calcium and vitamin D on osteoporotic fractures concluded that calcium supplementation over a four year period had a beneficial effect on body composition, but with no additional effect of vitamin D in the presence of a high calcium intake .
Turning to vitamin D administered without calcium, one study randomised 77 overweight and obese women to receive either 1000 IU of vitamin D daily or a placebo. In both groups the mean baseline 25D concentration was below 50 nmol/L, indicating deficiency. Vitamin D supplementation caused a significant reduction in body fat mass compared with placebo, as well as a significant rise in 25D concentrations. However, neither body weight nor waist circumference changed significantly in either group . Changes in 25D concentration and changes in fat mass were significantly inversely correlated. A randomised study of 445 overweight and obese adults to receive either 20,000 IU of vitamin D twice weekly (DD), 20,000 IU once weekly plus placebo once weekly (DP), or placebo twice weekly (PP) for 12 months. 25D concentrations rose significantly in both the DD and DP groups, but not the PP group. There was no difference in weight change between the three groups. However, mean 25D concentrations in all three groups were above 50 nmol/L at baseline , which substantially reduces the impact of these findings. The overall impression is that vitamin D with or without calcium appears not to have a definite effect on weight, but that it may affect fat mass and distribution. However, the evidence is not yet complete enough to be compelling, and further research is needed.
There is also evidence that weight loss leads to increased 25D concentrations, which may in turn provide additional protection against chronic disease. Data from 383 overweight or obese women who participated in a 2-year clinical trial of a weight-loss program showed that those who did not lose weight at 24 months had an increase in serum 25D of 1.9 ng/mL (4.8 nmol/L). However, 25D increased by 2.7 ng/mL (6.8 nmol/L) for those who lost 5%-10% of baseline weight, and by 5.0 ng/mL (12.5 nmol/L) for those who lost >10% of baseline weight (P = 0.014) . These findings suggest that weight loss is associated with increased serum 25D concentration in overweight or obese women. 49% of participants were deficient (25D below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L)) at baseline. By study end 36% of all participants were deficient, with 17% of those who achieved a normal BMI being deficient.
The association between reduced 25D concentrations and obesity is well established, and can be adequately accounted for by a volumetric, dilutional model. Correction of low 25D concentrations in obese individuals requires higher doses than those often advocated for the general population.
There are plausible mechanisms and some in vitro evidence supporting a role for vitamin D in weight reduction, with the proviso that it may be difficult to determine which effects are due to vitamin D itself and which are mediated via calcium. Clinical trials have not been conclusive, at least in part due to variable quality of study design. Some studies showing no effect of vitamin D supplementation on weight included participants who were vitamin D replete, and may thus have shown that giving supplemental vitamin D to those who are replete has no additional effect. There is a clear need for adequately-powered, prospective interventions which include baseline measurement of 25D concentrations and involve adequate doses of supplemental vitamin D. Until such studies have been reported, the role of vitamin D supplementation in obesity prevention remains uncertain.
- Obese need 2.5 IU of vitamin D per kg to increase 1 ng (about 3.4 X more) – RCT Sept 2013
- Obese need more Vitamin D: Volume dilution, IU per pound, or BMI – RCT Dec 2012
- Overview Veterinary and vitamin D 30 IU/kg is typical
Most vets and some doctors specify vitamin D in terms of IU/ per body weight
- Overview How Much vitamin D has the following chart
- Dose response equation
- Overview Obesity and Vitamin D contains the following summary
- FACT: People who are obese have less vitamin D in their blood
- FACT: Obese need a higher dose of vitamin D to get to the same level of vit D
- FACT: When obese people lose weight the vitamin D level in their blood increases
- FACT: Adding Calcium, perhaps in the form of fortified milk, often reduces weight
- FACT: 140 trials for vitamin D intervention of obesity as of Sept 2019
- FACT: Less weight gain by senior women with > 30 ng of vitamin D
- FACT: Dieters lost additional 5 lbs if vitamin D supplementation got them above 32 ng - RCT
- FACT: Obese lost 3X more weight by adding $10 of Vitamin D
- FACT: Those with darker skins were more likely to be obese Sept 2014
- SUGGESTION: Probably need more than 4,000 IU to lose weight if very low on vitamin D due to
risk factors such as overweight, age, dark skin, live far from equator,shut-in, etc.
- Obesity category has | <urn:uuid:02456315-f6b4-4bff-8dd2-0741b9c2a603> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://vitamindwiki.com/Need+75+IU+vitamin+D+per+kg+of+body+weight+%28volume+dilution%29+%E2%80%93+March+2013 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370493818.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20200329045008-20200329075008-00320.warc.gz | en | 0.942284 | 3,036 | 2.875 | 3 |
Fear of Snakes
What is Ophidiophobia?
Ophidiophobia, or sometimes referred to as ophiophobia, is the abnormal or extreme fear of snakes. It is a subcategory of the more general type of phobia called herpetophobia or fear of reptiles. This phobia is one of the most commonly present and affects about one-third of the adult population.
People with a fear of snakes have varied levels of fear. Some are only afraid of smaller species of snakes, whilst others are afraid of larger snakes. While others are only afraid of the actual reptile, some may experience extreme fears when near pet stores, bushland, or other locations where snakes may possibly be present.
Symptoms of Ophidiophobia (Fear of Snakes):
Ophidiophobia symptoms may include:
- Feelings of anxiety when near locations where snakes might be present
- A fear of seeing snakes on photos or television and film
- Being extremely afraid even just by hearing the word “snake”
- Feeling anxious when looking at snake-like forms, such as ropes or garden hoses
- Excessive shaking, crying, screaming, and an increased heart rate in the presence of a snake.
Treatment (Outside of Hypnosis)
Doctors will typically prescribe anti-anxiety medications like beta blockers and antidepressants to treat phobias like ophidiophobia. Although these medications may help, the results vary from one individual to another. Moreover, taking these kinds of drugs is usually hazardous because they have different effects on the mind and body. It is also possible that the patient may experience withdrawal symptoms once this form of medication is stopped. Apart from anti-anxiety drugs, people with a fear of snakes may benefit from individual counseling that will aid them in overcoming irrational fears.
Hypnosis as a Form of Treatment for Ophidiophobia
Although there are no direct studies linking ophidiophobia to hypnotherapy, several articles claim that ophidiophobia, as a form of anxiety disorder, can be treated using hypnosis. One of the most common treatments for ophidiophobia is in fact by hypnotherapy. It is said that by reprogramming the patient’s subconscious, the panic patterns that trigger the symptoms can be reduced or removed entirely, which makes the technique highly effective in some cases.
If you would like to book an appointment to see me now about your fear of snakes, you can do so by following by clicking the orange button below and following the links to book an appointment. I have treated a number of people with this condition successfully in the past.
Desai, Vidhi. “Ophidiophobia: Definition, Facts & Treatment.” Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/ophidiophobia-definition-facts-treatment.html#lesson>.
“Ophidiophobia.” Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophidiophobia>.
Fritscher, Lisa. “Ophidiophobia – Fear of Snakes.” About.com. N.p., Nov. 2008. Web. 26 May 2014. <http://phobias.about.com/od/phobiaslist/a/ophidiophobia.htm>.
“Sink Your Fangs into Ophidiophobia and Anxiety Disorder.” Depression Symptoms. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://depression-symptoms.org/sink-your-fangs-into-ophidiophobia-and-anxiety-disorder/>. | <urn:uuid:2d28c6a9-60a0-46f6-a73a-ceca892fcd09> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://www.hypnotherapymelbourne.net/ophidiophobia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655886095.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20200704073244-20200704103244-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.914141 | 777 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Inverse Clarke Transform
Implement αβ0 to abc transform
Simscape / Electrical / Control / Mathematical Transforms
The Inverse Clarke Transform block converts the time-domain alpha, beta, and zero components in a stationary reference frame to three-phase components in an abc reference frame. The block can preserve the active and reactive powers with the powers of the system in the stationary reference frame by implementing an invariant power version of the inverse Clarke transform. If the zero component is zero, the components in the three-phase system are balanced.
The figures show:
Balanced ɑ, β, and zero components in a stationary reference frame
The direction of the magnetic axes of the stator windings in the stationary ɑβ0 reference frame and the abc reference frame
The time-response of the individual components of equivalent balanced ɑβ0 and abc systems
The block implements the inverse Clarke transform as
α and β are the components in the stationary reference frame.
0 is the zero component in the stationary reference frame.
a, b, and c are the components of the three-phase system in the abc reference frame.
The block implements this power invariant version of the inverse Clarke transform as
αβ0 — α-β axis and zero
Alpha-axis component,α, beta-axis component β, and zero component in the stationary reference frame.
abc — a-, b-, and
Components of the three-phase system in the abc reference frame.
Power Invariant — Power invariant transform
off (default) | on
Preserve the active and reactive power of the system in the rotating reference frame.
Krause, P., O. Wasynczuk, S. D. Sudhoff, and S. Pekarek. Analysis of Electric Machinery and Drive Systems. Piscatawy, NJ: Wiley-IEEE Press, 2013.
C/C++ Code Generation
Generate C and C++ code using Simulink® Coder™.
Introduced in R2017b | <urn:uuid:d4087513-0e23-42fc-837b-91caf9442102> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://ch.mathworks.com/help/sps/ref/inverseclarketransform.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224654097.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20230608035801-20230608065801-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.69447 | 496 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Google Translate is one of the company’s most used products. It helps people translate one language to another through typing, taking pics of text, and using speech-to-text technology. Now, the company’s launching a new project called Translatotron, which will offer direct speech-to-speech translations – without even using any text.
In a post on Google’s AI blog, the team behind the tool explained that instead of using speech-to-text and then text-to-speech to convert voice, it relied on a new model (which runs on a neural network) to develop the new system.
“Dubbed Translatotron, this system avoids dividing the task into separate stages, providing a few advantages over cascaded systems, including faster inference speed, naturally avoiding compounding errors between recognition and translation, making it straightforward to retain the voice of the original speaker after translation, and better handling of words that do not need to be translated (e.g., names and proper nouns),” the Google research team wrote in the blog post.
Translatotron can also preserve the characteristics of the voice of the speaker when translating from one language to another. This could be really useful to sound editors who dub movies and TV shows.
The researchers have admitted that translations from the new model are not as precise as traditional models, but they’re confident the accuracy of the new model will soon improve.
Considering this still a model (and theres not even a demo available yet), chances are Google will take a while to implement the new system in consumer-grade solutions. I, for one, am looking forward to trying it out though. | <urn:uuid:df08efa9-1424-4792-aa16-0159f56889bb> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://thenextweb.com/google/2019/05/16/googles-new-ai-can-help-you-speak-another-language-in-your-own-voice/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250607314.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20200122161553-20200122190553-00207.warc.gz | en | 0.913864 | 348 | 2.8125 | 3 |
18. There are other questions calling for consideration:
First: Are both Acts and motions to be included in the category of Action, with the distinction that Acts are momentary while Motions, such as cutting, are in time? Or will both be regarded as motions or as involving Motion?
Secondly: Will all activities be related to passivity, or will some- for example, walking and speaking- be considered as independent of it?
Thirdly: Will all those related to passivity be classed as motions and the independent as Acts, or will the two classes overlap? Walking, for instance, which is an independent, would, one supposes, be a motion; thinking, which also does not essentially involve "passivity," an Act: otherwise we must hold that thinking and walking are not even actions. But if they are not in the category of Action, where then in our classification must they fall?
It may perhaps be urged that the act of thinking, together with the faculty of thought, should be regarded as relative to the thought object; for is not the faculty of sensation treated as relative to the sensible object? If then, we may ask, in the analogue the faculty of sensation is treated as relative to the sensible object, why not the sensory act as well? The fact is that even sensation, though related to an external object, has something besides that relation: it has, namely, its own status of being either an Act or a Passion. Now the Passion is separable from the condition of being attached to some object and caused by some object: so, then, is the Act a distinct entity. Walking is similarly attached and caused, and yet has besides the status of being a motion. It follows that thought, in addition to its relationship, will have the status of being either a motion or an Act. | <urn:uuid:2dcf8ba7-328b-4d1f-b324-8c1a8d8c1e55> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://sacred-texts.com/cla/plotenn/enn524.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549427749.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170727062229-20170727082229-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.981102 | 372 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Harry Potter: Middle Grades Activity
Students identify inferred and recurring literary, cultural and social themes such as bravery, loyalty, friendship and the notion of good vs. evil.
3 Views 40 Downloads
Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban: KWHL Strategy
J.K. Rowling's world of wizards and magic focuses on some topics that relate to our own society, especially in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Have kids complete a KWHL chart (what they know, what they want to know, how they...
3rd - 6th English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
New Review Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandu!" The motto for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry warns that one should never tickle a sleeping dragon, but learners will definitely be tickled by the activities in a packet of materials...
3rd - 12th English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
Reading Strategies for the Social Studies Class
Word splashes, read-draw-talk-write activities, exhibits. Middle schoolers use the Storypath approach to a unit study of America's concerns during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Teams organize a 21st century world's fair,...
6th - 8th English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban: Guided Imagery
Readers of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third in J. K. Rowling's series of novels about the young wizard, engage in a guided imagery exercise and then record in detail as many imagers from the passage as they can remember.
3rd - 8th English Language Arts
Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades
Bring the beauty of "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost to middle school language arts. After learners read a copy of the poem, they follow an instructional sequence that focuses on sound, figurative language, and theme.
6th - 8th English Language Arts CCSS: Designed
What's All the Fuss about Harry Potter?
Students complete a survey to explore the popularity of Harry Potter books. In this literature and controversy lesson, students examine why certain books are controversial or popular. Students write original plays about their favorite...
6th - 8th English Language Arts | <urn:uuid:698d971e-ac57-4533-8baa-a79576858682> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | https://www.lessonplanet.com/teachers/lesson-plan-harry-potter-middle-grades-activity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818690035.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20170924152911-20170924172911-00708.warc.gz | en | 0.898914 | 489 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Dual-sensory loss, or Deafblindness is a combination of both sight and hearing loss. The term multi-sensory-impairment is also sometimes used to describe deafblindness.
Types and conditions
People of all ages can have a sight or hearing impairment. It may have been from birth, or due to deterioration later in life. Deafblindness affects a person’s ability to communicate, to access all kinds of information, and to get around.
A term that describes any child who is born with a sight and hearing impairment or develops sight and hearing loss before they have developed language in their early years.
A person who loses their sight and hearing after they have developed language in their early years is said to have acquired deafblindness.
Usher syndrome is a genetic or inherited condition that affects hearing, vision and balance. The sight loss is caused by an eye condition known as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) which leads to a gradual and progressive reduction in vision.
CHARGE is a challenging genetic condition that can affect all ages. The most common problems are with the ears, eyes, heart and nose – although there are a wide range of other difficulties that people can have.
Most deafblind people in the UK are older people who have developed hearing and sight loss in later life. The older someone is, the more likely they are to have both a visual and a hearing impairment.
Often this hearing and vision loss comes on gradually. Older people themselves, and others around them, may not recognise or understand what is happening. This dual-sensory loss often goes unrecognised, or is seen as a natural consequence of ageing about which nothing can be done.
Sense is a national charity that specifically supports people who are deafblind. They produce free, easy-to-use resources for family members and staff that support older people with dual-sensory loss. They also produce a “Fill the gaps” checklist, which can be used to see if a relative or someone you support has dual-sensory loss and “The Good Life” – a guide to understanding what your relative is going through, how you can help, and where to go for more specialist support.
Tips for people with dual-sensory loss
Some of the specific methods for communicating with deafblind people require training and experience.
But there are simple things you can consider that make it possible to communicate with many deafblind people. Here are some quick tips:
- Make sure you have the person’s attention before trying to communicate with them
- Gently touching the top of the deafblind person’s arm is a common way of attracting their attention without startling them
- Identify yourself clearly
- Check that you are in the best position to communicate
- Avoid noisy places and background noise
- Adapt the conditions to suit the individual
- Speak clearly and a little slower, but don’t shout
- Make your lip patterns clear without over-exaggerating
- Keep your face visible – don’t smoke, eat, or cover your mouth
- Use gestures and facial expressions to support what you are saying
- If necessary, repeat phrases or re-phrase the sentence
- Be aware that communicating can be hard work. Take regular communication breaks
- Try writing things down. You might need to experiment with different sizes of letters and different coloured paper and pens
Our Sensory Loss Care and Support
Home Care Preferred understands that living with, or caring for a loved one who has sensory loss can be very distressing and unsettling. That is why we train our team members to minimise the disruption caused by sensory loss by providing the support family, friends and the client need to help them cope, such as working together to come up with ways to adapt your home to your new or developing situation and needs. Our services are people centred and revolve entirely around the specific requirements of the individual. This approach enables our support assistants to deliver the medical, emotional and physical support their clients need in familiar surroundings, and around their established routines, allowing those living with sensory loss to maintain independence and a good quality of life.
Our support assistants are specifically trained to provide care and support. They offer assistance ranging from help around the home to more sensitive issues. From household chores, to helping with personal care – such as toileting, bathing and dressing – Home Care Preferred are there to carry out all the practical care aspects with empathy and discretion, allowing the person to continue living their daily life, and following their established routines.
Our support assistants understand that while helping their clients with the medical aspects of sensory loss and aiding in practical duties such as shopping and preparing meals is important, so is chatting about shared interests and creating a comfortable relationship between the support assistant and the client. This is why we ensure you are matched with a support assistant who not only has the relevant skill set, but also has a complementary personality. Our support assistants provide a ‘can-do’ attitude, encouraging and providing physical and psychological support.
Our Sensory Loss care and support includes:
- Support with personal care that is tailored to each individual
- Visiting care that can adapt as your needs change
- Short regular visits through to longer visits, night care, respite or a full time live in carer
- Specialist support assistants who are trained to help them understand the complexities of sensory loss
- Dedicated care team with over 25 years’ experience in the care sector
- Full assessment before care starts
- Bespoke and flexible support plan
- Specialist support and expertise – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Assistance with social activities and lifestyle enhancement
Understandably, when selecting care, individuals and their loved ones have many questions and worries. We have a highly experienced, friendly team of care who are always on hand to talk you or your loved one through the care and support we offer those living with sensory loss.
Contact us today to learn more about visual impairment care support services from our expert team. | <urn:uuid:1ab868c7-3794-4245-b447-6cd3256465d4> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.homecarepreferred.com/conditions-we-support/sensory-loss/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886116921.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822221214-20170823001214-00401.warc.gz | en | 0.963571 | 1,242 | 3.96875 | 4 |
Python closure usually makes code simpified and are used in functional programming style. It starts
with a keyword
lambda and the last statement is the result returned. You can also create functions
inside another function. A
lambda is a anonymous function.
- Basic grammar
- Auto capture variables
You can create a closure with the keyword
import operator from functools import reduce a = [1, 2, 3] # Increase each element in a and get a new list b = list(map(lambda _: _ + 1, a)) # Get all even numbers c = list(filter(lambda _: _%2==0, b)) d = reduce(operator.add, c, 0)
Auto capture variables
A lambda function can automatically capture variables in its environment.
def a(): b = 3 return lambda: b c = a() print(c())
But you need to be aware that there are boundaries where you can see a new variable.
- Module: module level variables
- Class: variables defined in a class
- Function: variables defined in a function
If you are not familiar with those boundaries, you will make mistakes that you need to refer an existing variable instead of creating a new variable.
def func(): a = 3 def b(): a = 4 b() print(a)
a is a new variable in function
b, not the same variable in
Pitfall for capturing
a = [1, 2, 3] fns = for v in a: fns.append(lambda: v) for fn in fns: print(fn())
We are expecting three different number printed on the screen. But actually 3 is repeated three times. We are capturing the same variable. To fix the problem, we can add an argument to the anonymous function and pass the argument. Python will evaluate the argument first.
You cannot use
You cannot write
lambda function. But you can use
from pprint import pprint a = [1,2,3] list(map(lambda _:pprint(_), a)) | <urn:uuid:71c9e34c-83e7-448a-891e-5fde48a080b6> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.chunyangwen.com/blog/python/python-closure.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439737319.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20200808080642-20200808110642-00455.warc.gz | en | 0.77342 | 432 | 4.03125 | 4 |
The course sequence for the Civil Engineering major follows a pattern of successive building and bolstering of disciplinary knowledge and transferable skills, per the program goals for learning and student outcomes:
- ENST 201/L Environmental Science I: is the first in a series of two introductory environmental courses that introduces students to the concepts and principles of environmental science. Through a combination of field and laboratory experiences, students will be introduced to methods for assessing and monitoring the environmental health of ecosystems. Topics for discussion include weather and climate, biodiversity, ecosystem management, energy transfer and balance, population growth, bioremediation, and environmental toxicology.
- CE 200/L Introduction to Civil Engineering: is a broad introductory course that exposes students to topics directly related to civil engineering, such as structural design, forces in structures, civil engineering materials, fluid mechanics, hydraulics and hydrological systems, and geotechnical and environmental engineering. This course also introduces students to the business aspects of the civil engineering profession, including project management, construction management, and asset management. Prerequisite ENGR 150.
- CE 300 Dynamics and Modeling: focuses on dynamics and dynamic systems typically experienced in civil engineering design and construction. Topics include kinematics, mass moments of inertia, force acceleration, impulse momentum and work, energy and power. Prerequisite PHYS 241.
- CE 320/L Civil Engineering Materials: is a material science course devoted to materials typically used in civil engineering design and construction. Materials of interest include concrete, asphalt, steel and other metals, wood, plastics and composite materials. Prerequisite ENGR 350/L.
- CE 340/L Hydraulics and Hydrology: focuses on fluids and fluid mechanics typically experienced in civil engineering design and construction. The course covers basic hydraulics (open-channel flow, pipe flow), basic hydrology (infiltration, rainfall, runoff, flood flows, watersheds), pumping systems, water retention systems and water distribution systems. Prerequisite ENGR 320/L.
- CE 360 Geotechnical Engineering: concentrates on the geological aspects of civil engineering design and construction. Topics include soils, air/water/solid phase relations, stability of retaining walls, shear strength, bearing capacity, foundation types, slope stability, drainage systems, erosion control and soil stabilization. Prerequisites CE 320/L and CE 340L.
- CE 400/L Structural Design and Analysis I: focuses on the design and analysis of civil engineering structures. Structural analysis includes the forces, deflection and stability of structures consisting of statically determinant beams, trusses and frames. Other topics include loads and load paths of structures, and analysis of statistically indeterminate structures. Prerequisites PHYS 241, PHYS 242, CE 300.
- CE 420 Transportation Engineering: focuses on the civil engineering design and construction of transportation systems. Particular areas of interest include road and highway design, materials and pavement systems, traffic flow theory and control, and traffic control. Prerequisites CE 320/L and CE 340L.
- CE 430 Environmental Engineering: focuses on the impact of human systems on the environment and the incorporation of environmental considerations in civil engineering design and construction. Topics include water quality and treatment, pollution control and treatment, and environmental regulations. Prerequisites ENST 201/L, CE 320/L and CE 340L.
- CE 440/L Structural Design and Analysis II: is the second course in the Structural Design and Analysis sequence. Special emphasis is placed on the design and construction civil engineering structures via steel components and reinforced concrete. Prerequisite CE 400/L.
- CE 480 Senior Civil Engineering Seminar: is the capstone design course that incorporates all the elements of CE previous courses. This is a senior design course where teams of students design a civil engineering system and perform appropriate design analyses. The overall structural design must consist of at least two of the following civil engineering technical areas: structural, geotechnical, environmental, transportation, hydraulics/hydrology, construction). Students will model the system in CAD and construct a scale model.
This course also serves as a career planning course and prepares students for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) – Civil Exam, administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). The FE is the first step in the process towards attaining Professional Engineer credentials. | <urn:uuid:9b13b04e-0d60-4cda-8bd7-5303a3499990> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.kings.edu/academics/undergraduate_majors/engineering/civil-engineering/course-description | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886106779.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170820150632-20170820170632-00543.warc.gz | en | 0.889561 | 892 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Francis II (January 19, 1544 – December 5, 1560) was a monarch of the House of Valois-Angoulême who was King of France from 1559 to 1560. He was also King consort of Scotland as a result of his marriage to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland from 1558 until his death.
Early Life & Childhood Edit
Francis, Dauphin of France was born on January 19, 1544, the long awaited first child and heir of King Henry II & his Queen Catherine de Medici. Born 11 years & 3 months into his parents' marriage, Francis was at first raised at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. He was baptized on February 10, 1544 at the Chapelle des Trinitaires in Fontainebleau. His godparents were Francis I (who knighted him during the ceremony), Pope Paul III, and his great-aunt Marguerite de Navarre. He became governor of Languedoc in 1546, and Dauphin of France in 1547, when his grandfather Francis I died. Francis' governor was Jean d'Humières and his tutor was Pierre Danès, a Greek scholar originally from Naples. He learned dancing from Virgilio Bracesco and fencing from Hector of Mantua.
Marrying a Queen Edit
King Henry II, his father, arranged a remarkable betrothal for his son to Mary, Queen of Scotland, in the Châtillon agreement of January 27, 1548, when Francis was only four years old. Mary had been crowned Queen of Scotland in Stirling Castle on September 9, 1543 at the age of nine months following the death of her father James V. Besides being the queen of Scotland, Mary was a granddaughter of Claude, Duke of Guise, a very influential figure at the court of France. Once the marriage agreement was formally ratified, the six-year-old Mary was sent to France to be raised at court until the marriage. Although Mary was tall for her age and eloquent, while her betrothed Francis was abnormally short and stuttered, Henry II commented that "from the very first day they met, my son and she got on as well together as if they had known each other for a long time".
On April 24, 1558 at the Notre Dame Cathedral, the fourteen-year-old Dauphin married the Queen of Scotland in a union that could have given the future kings of France the throne of Scotland and also a claim to the throne of England through Mary's great grandfather, King Henry VII of England. Until his death, Francis held the title King consort of Scotland. Mary and Francis were to have no children during their short marriage, however, possibly due to Francis' illnesses or his undescended testicles.
A Dauphin then a King Edit
A little over a year after his wedding, on July 10, 1559, Francis became king at the age of fifteen upon the death of his father Henry II, who had succumbed to septicemia after being fatally injured in a jousting accident. On September 21, 1559, Francis II was crowned king in the Reims Cathedral by his uncle Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine. The crown was so heavy that nobles had to hold it in place for him. The court then moved to the Loire Valley, where the Château de Blois and the surrounding forests were the new king's home. Francis II took the sun for his emblem and for his mottos Spectanda fides (This is how faith should be respected) and Lumen rectis (Light for the righteous).
According to French law, Francis at the age of fifteen was an adult who in theory did not need a regent. But since he was young, inexperienced, and in fragile health, he delegated his power to his wife's uncles from the noble House of Guise: François, Duke of Guise, and Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine. His mother, Catherine de' Medici, agreed to this delegation. On the first day of his reign, Francis II instructed his four ministers to take orders from his mother, but since she was still in mourning for the loss of her husband, she directed them to the House of Guise.
Reign of Francis II Edit
Francis II's reign was dominated by religious crisis. His unpopular and repressive policy toward Protestantism motivated the Amboise conspiracy, in which certain Protestant leaders attempted a coup d'état against the king and the House of Guise. Due to growing discontent, the government tried conciliation. Under the influence of Catherine de' Medici, it started a dialogue with the proponents of this relatively new movement, while remaining implacable towards agitators. Until the end of his reign, the kingdom of Francis II was paralyzed by local revolts. He reacted by becoming more authoritarian.
- The Amboise conspiracy
Determined to stop the persecution and have Protestantism officially recognized, a group of noblemen planned the Amboise conspiracy to overthrow the government and give power to the Princes of the Blood, who supported the new religion. The conspirators planned to take over the palace with the help of the royal guard, abduct the king, then eliminate the Guises if they offered any resistance. A substantial external military deployment was intended to secure the operation. The conspirators also most likely had the secret support of Louis, Prince of Condé, the ambitious younger brother of King Antoine of Navarre.
During February 1560, the court received multiple warnings about the conspiracy. Due to that threat, the royal council decided, under the influence of Queen Catherine de' Medici, to make some concessions. On March 8, 1560, the king signed an edict granting general amnesty to Protestants. But it was too late; the conspiracy was already under way. From all parts of the kingdom, troops were on their way to the Château d'Amboise, where the court was in residence. In the cities of Tours and Orléans, they received money and weapons from the conspirators.
The poorly organized conspiracy ended in a bloodbath. Its outcome was determined as early as March 15 when Jacques, Duke of Nemours, arrested some of the primary conspirators. Over the following days disorientated troops, mostly peasants, were arrested one by one in and around the forest of Amboise. The king was at first inclined to leniency. He freed them and ordered them to return to their homes. But on March 17, two hundred men tried to storm one of the city gates at the foot of the castle. Quickly repelled by the Duke of Guise, these rebels were unmercifully pursued. More than a hundred were executed, some even hanged from the ramparts of the castle. The retaliation continued for several weeks, and almost twelve hundred people died.
Loss of Scotland Edit
With the marriage of Francis II and Mary Stuart, the future of Scotland was linked to that of France. A secret clause signed by the queen provided that Scotland would become part of France if the royal couple did not have children. The queen's mother, Marie de Guise, became Regent for Scotland.
Because of French control over their country, a congregation of Scottish lords organized an uprising and made the regent and her French councils leave the capital, Edinburgh, in May of 1559. Having taken refuge at the fortress of Dunbar, Marie of Guise asked France for help. Francis II and Mary Stuart sent troops right away. By the end of 1559, France was back in control of Scotland.
Nothing seemed to stand in the way of France controlling Scotland apart from English support for the uprising of the Scottish nobles. Queen Elizabeth of England was still offended that Francis II and Mary Stuart had put on their coat of arms those of England, thus proclaiming Mary's claims on the throne of England. In January 1560, the English fleet blockaded the port of Leith, which French troops had turned into a military base. They were supported by the arrival in April of 6000 soldiers and 3000 horsemen, which began the siege of the city.
Just as English troops were not particularly successful, and French troops found themselves in a better strategic position. But the poor financial situation of the French government and internal turmoil in the French kingdom prevented any military reinforcements from being sent. When the Bishop of Valence and Charles de La Rochefoucault, sieur of Randan, sent by the king to negotiate, arrived in Scotland, they were treated almost like prisoners. With Marie of Guise shut up in an Edinburgh fortress, the two men were forced to negotiate a peace that was disadvantageous to France. On July 6, 1560, they signed the Treaty of Edinburgh, which ended French occupation of Scotland. Francis II and Mary Stuart had to withdraw French troops and stop displaying England's arms.
Early Death & burial Edit
The health of the king began to deteriorate in November 1560. On November 16 he suffered a syncope. After only 17 months on the throne, Francis II died on December 5, 1560 in Orléans, Loiret, from an ear infection. Multiple diseases have been suggested, such as mastoiditis, meningitis, or otitis exacerbated into an abscess. Ambroise Paré, the royal surgeon, considered performing a trepanation. Some suspected Protestants of having poisoned the king, but this has not been proven.
Francis II died childless, so his younger brother Charles, then ten years old, succeeded him. On December 21, the council named Catherine de Medici as Regent of France. The Guises left the court, while Mary Stuart, Francis II's widow, returned to Scotland. Louis, Prince of Condé, who was jailed and awaiting execution, was freed after some negotiations with Catherine de Medici.
On December 23, 1560, the body of Francis II was interred in the Saint-Denis Basilica by the Prince of La Roche-sur-Yon. His parents & several siblings also rest here.
See Also Edit | <urn:uuid:711a2326-04e6-4b05-be7e-8d4d7b9bf882> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://reign-cw.wikia.com/wiki/Dauphin_Francis_II_(Historical) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128319575.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170622135404-20170622155404-00038.warc.gz | en | 0.981165 | 2,087 | 3.125 | 3 |
Answered By: Woodruff Library Reference Last Updated: Mar 20, 2019 Views: 259096
How do you decide what to write about when confronted with a research paper? You want a focused topic!
Here are some things to consider:
- Make sure your topic meets the assignment requirements. Ask your professor for feedback if you are unsure.
- Choose a topic that is interesting to you. It may seem obvious, but this will make the research process more fun and engaging for you.
- Consider the scope of your topic. If your topic is too broad it may be hard to find information that is focused and relevant; if your topic is too narrow it may be hard to find any information at all.
Here's one strategy for developing a research topic once you have a broad topic in mind:
- Background research will help you develop your topic and hone or change it in more appropriate ways. Knowing more about your topic's background can only help you develop a more effective topic, and therefore, research paper.
- Brainstorm concepts. Once you think of a broad topic that interests you, try to brainstorm all of the words or concepts you can that might be related to that topic (and write them down!). For example, if your topic is "polar bears," you might think of the following words and topics in association: ice, cubs, pollution, hunting, diet, climate change, and environmental icon.
- Develop a research question. Once you have come up with a broad topic and done some background research, you may want to develop a research question, or a question you're going to answer in your paper by doing more, in-depth research.
- What's your general approach to the topic? Think about some general approaches that may help you further develop your topic: use a historical angle by focusing on a particular time period; a geographical angle, focusing on a particular part of the world; or a sociological angle, focusing on a particular group of people.
- Start doing some exploratory, in-depth research. As you do more in-depth research, like looking for scholarly articles, books, and other sources to include in your paper, you can and probably will modify or refine your topic based on what you find.
- Research is a dynamic process. Don't be afraid to discover new things and modify or refine your topic.
The topic development process will help you to develop your thesis, which is essentially your proposed answer to your research question. You will then be ready to use the sources you've found, and find more sources in order to support that thesis, or to answer your research question.
Here's an example of how the topic development process above can lead you to a thesis:
Resources that can help you develop your topic:
- Your instructor, course readings, class notes, Wikipedia, and Google can all be helpful in terms of getting ideas for broad topics.
- A Research Guide for a particular subject created by a subject librarian is great for helping you choose where to begin your research. These online guides will identify encyclopedias, books, databases, and other materials to help you get started with research. You can also ask a librarian at the Library Service Desk.
- Library resources like Credo Reference Unlimited, Gale Virtual Reference Library, CQ Researcher and subject-specific encyclopedias can help you come up with topic ideas because they provide great overviews and introductions to topics. You can find links to these kinds of resources in the Research Guides mentioned above. These will probably not be scholarly sources you can use in your paper, but they may lead you to more in-depth, scholarly resources that you will want to use in your paper.
Check out this video from NCSU Libraries: | <urn:uuid:2cdd4229-d6a4-4a27-8ce1-dc6a2ed70a93> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://emory.libanswers.com/friendly.php?slug=faq/44525 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439737178.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20200807113613-20200807143613-00251.warc.gz | en | 0.933959 | 773 | 3.25 | 3 |
Respect, understanding, cooperation, and goodness grow where people feel familiar and comfortable. When we recognize these same characteristics in others, we build connections. Our homes, neighborhoods, and communities are the familiar and comfortable spaces. Understanding the world's global village connects us to others in a positive way.
Begin by discussing the homes, neighborhoods, and communities surrounding you. Students can draw a map of their walk to school or the park, including homes along the way. Houses, just like people, come in many different shapes and sizes. As a special project, provide material for kids to design their own unique house.
Visit The Wonderment's Global Village Path. Each participant has contributed a unique piece of a village. These creative homes come from all over the world and build a village we make globally as we recognize the important contribution each person makes! | <urn:uuid:4d09efcf-e190-42bc-9e0d-0b51b9c60ea0> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://wonderguides.wixsite.com/thewonderguides/single-post/2016/11/17/Home-is-Where-There-is-a-Village | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347413406.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20200531120339-20200531150339-00014.warc.gz | en | 0.955521 | 170 | 3.140625 | 3 |
WHAT IS INTERDEPENDENCE?
Interdependence, or pro-social behavior, “refers to actions that are intended to aid or benefit another person or group of people without the [child’s] anticipation of external rewards. Such actions often entail some cost, self-sacrifice, or risk on the part of the [child].”1
WHAT IS INTERDEPENDENCE, IN ENGLISH?
Sympathy, generosity, charitable donations, service, sharing, etc. It also encompasses grace & courtesy and conflict resolution. In other words, all the behaviors required to be a productive member of society when the child is grown.
HOW DOES A CHILD LEARN INTERDEPENDENCE?
Montessori tells us the first stage of a child’s development, from birth to age 6, is an incredible time of unconscious development. From birth to age 3 the adult has little influence on their learning. The child will absorb the environment around him and make it part of his soul. He will learn his native language, adapt to the climate he is raised in, and honor any social order of his surroundings. This unconscious learning can never be wholly eradicated from our being. From ages 3 to 6, their personality changes slightly. Adults begin to have some influence on the child, but he is still absorbing his environment and forming her mind.
IF THAT’S THE CASE, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO AS PARENTS?
The most important thing we can do is role model and guide our children. They require consistent schedules and consistent reactions. Role modeling and guiding may look like this: Parent says “Good morning” to the teacher every day. Child will begin to say “Good morning” to the teacher. You say “Good morning,” but your child doesn’t. Ask a guiding, open-ended question like “What do you say to your teacher in the morning?” The child may or may not respond. Continue this modeling and guiding behavior. After years of practice, saying “Good morning” becomes part of the child’s day.
WHAT LIMITS SHOULD I SET?
Setting limits is an art that is ever-evolving and personalized to your child. What works for some, may not work for others. All parents set some limits in common. These limits usually ensure the safety of our children. While we let them walk independently, we hold their hand in parking lots and on sidewalks. How they walk in a hallway, however, is a more interdependent action. This shared space requires courtesy to others. Sometimes a child will be uncooperative in these areas. As a guiding parent, we offer them a choice: “You can walk appropriately (hold my hand, don’t run, etc.) or I can carry you. Which would you like to do?” Montessori encourages us to “teach children limits with love or the world will teach them without it.”
1Mussen, Paul and Eisenberg-Berg, Nancy. Roots of Caring, Sharing, and Helping: The Development of Prosocial Behavior in Children. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1977. | <urn:uuid:a64d20e3-0e43-49cd-8930-66b00fa5fea1> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://tmaonline.org/about-tma/parenting-resources/interdependence/?mode=grid | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347413406.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20200531120339-20200531150339-00417.warc.gz | en | 0.933924 | 669 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Talk to an Expert - 1-800-Micato-1
The Music of Africa
To Africans, music is a part of life. The unique instruments, harmonious voices and ancient rhythms of African safari music all combine to form the jubilant pulse of this continent.
Singing is an important part of the music; and because many languages in Africa are dependent on tone and pitch to convey meaning, the melodies are sometimes influenced by the words of the song. The vocals are often accompanied by traditional instruments ranging from kettledrums and rattles to bamboo flutes and trumpets made from sections of a gourd. In addition, dance is frequently incorporated as a fundamental (and inextricable) part of a song. Dance is seen as simply another way to communicate, and movement as a form of expression.
Today's African music is as entrancing and inspiring as ever. And we'll admit: we have our favorites. Here are two musical organizations we are proud to support.
Boys Choir of Kenya
Since then, The Boys Choir performed at the inauguration event for President Obama, and were offered a recording contract shortly thereafter. The choir's director has graciously claimed that it all started with Micato, but we know the truth - it all started with these marvelous boys and their angelic voices. You can learn more about the Boys Choir of Kenya at: http://www.africanchorus.org/Artists/BCKBio.html
African Children’s Choir
They have lifted their voices for such luminaries as the Queen of England and Nelson Mandela, and their message of hope resonates with people around the world. You can learn more about the African Children’s Choir at: http://www.africanchildrenschoir.com/ | <urn:uuid:c7f948f7-ace9-4a9f-bb09-22a2d7ff2cbe> | CC-MAIN-2014-41 | http://www.micato.com/the-experience/the-african-people/the-music-of-africa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-41/segments/1410657131545.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20140914011211-00088-ip-10-196-40-205.us-west-1.compute.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96621 | 374 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Question: Show how a hydrogen 1s atomic orbital and a fluorine
Show how a hydrogen 1s atomic orbital and a fluorine 2p atomic orbital overlap to form bonding and antibonding MOs in the hydrogen fluoride molecule. Are they σ or π MOs?
Answer to relevant QuestionsWhich of the following are predicted by the molecular orbital model to be stable diatomic species? a. H2+, H2, H2-, H22- b. N22-, O22-, F22- c. Be2, B2, Ne2 Consider the following electron configuration: (σ3σ) 2(σ3σ*) 2(σ3π) 2(π3π) 4(πsπ*) 4 Give four species that, in theory, would have this electron configuration. The space- filling model for benzoic acid is shown below. Describe the bonding in benzoic acid using the LE model combined with the molecular orbital model. FClO2 and F3ClO can both gain a fluoride ion to form stable anions. F3ClO and F3ClO2 can also lose a fluoride ion to form stable cations. Draw Lewis structures and describe the hybrid orbitals used by chlorine in these four ...Consider the following computer- generated model of caffeine: Complete a Lewis structure for caffeine in which all atoms have a formal charge of zero (as is typical with most organic compounds). How many C and N atoms are ...
Post your question | <urn:uuid:0b1ecda8-7635-42d3-ba23-72760c539a34> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.solutioninn.com/show-how-a-hydrogen-1s-atomic-orbital-and-a-fluorine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886117874.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170823055231-20170823075231-00215.warc.gz | en | 0.876797 | 332 | 3 | 3 |
Fresh foods for Guinea Pigs
Provide a variety of different types of vegetables and fruits daily.
Along with a constant supply of good quality feeding hay or grass (this should make up at least 80% of their food) and commercial guinea pig pellets (not muesli-style food mixes ideally, as these encourage selective eating and an unbalanced diet), guinea pigs should each be fed a teacup sized amount of fresh greens per day.
Fresh greens are a great source of Vitamin C which is important for guinea pigs as they do not produce this vitamin themselves, so need to have it supplied in their diet each day. The average, non-breeding, healthy guinea pig will need 25mg/kg of Vitamin C each day. Breeding or unwell animals should be given 50mg/kg.
Try to give your guinea pigs a different mix of fresh veg each day, however, new foods should be introduced to your guinea pigs gradually, as any sudden changes to their diet could upset their stomachs.
- Brussel Sprouts
- Carrots and carrot tops (as a rare treat – they are high in sugar)
- Cauliflower leaves and stalks
- Dandelion (only small amounts - it can make them go to the toilet more often)
- Red cabbage
- Romaine lettuce
- Salad peppers
- Savoy cabbage
- Potato and potato tops
- Rhubarb (including the leaves)
- Tomato leaves
Don’t forget to also always provide your guinea pigs access to fresh, clean drinking water from a water bottle or bowl. The water should be replaced daily and checked regularly in cold weather to ensure that the water has not frozen. | <urn:uuid:2b43a898-f5b1-423e-85ac-5e3c4e96a996> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://www.spca.nz/advice-and-welfare/article/fresh-foods-for-guinea-pigs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250601040.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20200120224950-20200121013950-00456.warc.gz | en | 0.927239 | 354 | 3.15625 | 3 |
PIF - Program Information file
Short for Program Information file, a type of file that holds information about how Windows should run a non-Windows application. For example, a PIF file can contain instructions for executing a DOS application in the Windows environment. These instructions can include the amount of memory to use, the path to the executable file, and what type of window to use. PIF files have a .pif extension .
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The following facts and statistics capture the changing landscape of cloud computing and how service providers and customers are keeping up with... Read More »Facts about Computer Science: Education and Jobs
The following computer science facts and statistics provide a quick introduction to the changing trends in education and related careers. Read More »Texting & Chat Abbreviations
From A3 to ZZZ this guide lists 1,500 text message and online chat abbreviations to help you translate and understand today's texting lingo. Read More »
Learn about each of the five generations of computers and major technology developments that have led to the computing devices that we use... Read More »Computer Architecture Study Guide
Computer architecture provides an introduction to system design basics for most computer science students. Read More »Network Fundamentals Study Guide
Networking fundamentals teaches the building blocks of modern network design. Learn different types of networks, concepts, architecture and... Read More » | <urn:uuid:c939aa20-bcb6-41e4-a6d2-0de9adb438d3> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/PIF_file.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187823255.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20171019065335-20171019085335-00692.warc.gz | en | 0.845024 | 302 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Each month throughout 2020 the AJS-Q has been celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Brisbane Kobe Sister City relationship by highlighting aspects of Kobe.
This month we are featuring Ikuta Shrine
Ikuta Shrine, believed to be founded by the Empress Jingu in the 3rd Century AD, is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. It is a Shinto shrine venerating the Goddess/Kami Wakahirume-no-Mikoto.
In addition to the main building there are a number of other beautiful features in the grounds. These include 14 smaller shrines, a flowing stream, a waterfall, a pond and a row of striking vermilion tori leading to Ikuta Forest.
Interestingly, the City of Kobe owes its name to an ancient association with the shrine. The name Kobe is derived from ‘Kanbe’, the name of the families assigned by the Emperor in 806 AD to support and protect the deity of Ikuta.
The shrine has been rebuilt and repaired over the centuries. It has survived wars, floods, and earthquakes and stands as a symbol of resurrection, resilience, and hope.
These days, businesses, offices, shops and cafes border the shrine precinct that was once surrounded by forest and woodland. Yet, despite it’s modern day, down-town location, the shrine and its grounds continue to provide a serene oasis for contemplation and prayer; an opportunity to connect with ancient Japan or just enjoy nature.
Ikuta Shrine is an easy 10 minute walk from Sannomiya Station in Kobe’s CBD. | <urn:uuid:9dd00392-53a8-413f-a0a3-3966cf2edd0a> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://asiawebtest.com/4433-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945288.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324180032-20230324210032-00794.warc.gz | en | 0.952443 | 327 | 2.78125 | 3 |
With back-to-school comes a “back-to-germs” feeling for many parents. Soon, your child will walk in the door coughing or complaining of a stomachache. Is it avoidable? There’s no way to prevent a child from avoiding all germs and illnesses, but there are steps to take now to ensure your child is as healthy as possible as they head to school. Here’s a checklist for keeping your kids healthy this coming school year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that getting vaccinated from the flu is the single best way to prevent getting it. Your child’s pediatrician as well as many local medical centers and walk-in clinics offer this type of vaccination. You can visit the CDC’s website to stay up to date on the current season’s flu vaccination availability. This site updates every season with new information.
Handwashing is another powerful tool against the spreading of illness. Germs of all types are commonly shared in this way. Touching surfaces contaminated from coughing or sneezing, for example, allows an individual to transfer those germs to themselves. Cold and flu germs remain infectious for several hours on surfaces. Here are some tips:
- Teach children to not touch their face, especially their eyes and mouth, unless they’ve washed their hands first.
- Make sure kids know to wash their hands before eating.
- Add sanitizers to their lunch box so germs are killed before eating.
The more frequently your child washes his or her hands, the less risk there is for spreading germs. BrainPOP Educators offered fun and creative ways to teach kids how to properly wash their hands.
Stay Away From Germs
As kids enter new grades and schools, it’s more common for them to be exposed to germs their immune systems haven’t built up antibodies to. Disease and germs in schools, playgrounds and recreational centers tend to be pretty rampant. How can you teach kids to stay safe?
- Everyone should keep mouths and noses covered when coughing or sneezing.
- Stay at home if you’re sick. Encourage sick kids not to visit friends or family.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Communicate with kids about the importance of remaining healthy and how they can play an active role in doing so.
How to Prep Your Home for Safety
Educating your kids and other family members about how to remain healthy is the most important way to keep them in tip-top shape this flu season. Do a few things around the home to increase your chances of keeping everyone illness-free, including:
- Place sanitizing solutions near the doors. Before anyone touches anything in the home, sanitize their hands. While it doesn’t replace hand-washing, it can help.
- Put items entering the home in the same place every day.
- Use sanitizing wipes and other cleaners to routinely keep surfaces wiped down. It’s especially important to tackle door handles, phones and kitchen surfaces.
- Use a home air cleaner to remove dust and debris from the air, which can spread mold, mildew and germs.
Taking these steps now before back-to-school germs arrive is an important step in caring for your family. Look around your home and see what you can do to make it a little cleaner.
Sandy Baker is a full-time freelance writer specializing in health, personal finance and internet marketing. Her long-term history online has included publications with companies including Marriott Hotels, The New York Times and dozens of other small and medium-sized businesses. She is also published in print with award-winning books such as The Complete Guide to Estate Planning, Complete Guide to Early Retirement, The Complete Bankruptcy Guide for Consumers and Small Businesses and The Complete Guide to Organic Lawn Care. | <urn:uuid:380569bf-ada8-441e-99b3-a56917e9b7cf> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://thebenefitsguide.com/its-back-to-school-time-keeping-kids-healthy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655886706.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20200704201650-20200704231650-00197.warc.gz | en | 0.952831 | 810 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Using log files
Use logging to verify what operations an application is performing, how the client and server are interacting, and which operations result in an error. Using logs allows you to gather information to identify the causes of performance issues or errors. If you need to contact BMC Customer Support, having the appropriate log files ready can help resolve many issues more quickly.
Each log file has a default location and a default log file name, or you can direct log output to a directory and file that you select.
Do not leave logging turned on indefinitely, because log files can grow very large and will consume disk space. Some types of server logging can affect system performance. Therefore, turn on log files to capture the information you need, and then turn the logging option off when you have done so. | <urn:uuid:32333eb1-a10d-41d4-8392-0f2ca07714e5> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://docs.bmc.com/docs/ars91/en/using-log-files-609073438.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738723.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20200810235513-20200811025513-00145.warc.gz | en | 0.897655 | 159 | 2.609375 | 3 |
New evidence is emerging for how important it is for pregnant women to eat good, nutritious food. Expecting mothers who eat vegetables every day seem to have children who are less likely to develop type 1 diabetes, is revealed in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The study was performed in collaboration with Linköping University, which is conducting a population study called ABIS (All Babies in Southeast Sweden). The results have been published in the journal Pediatric Diabetes.
“This is the first study to show a link between vegetable intake during pregnancy and the risk of the child subsequently developing type 1 diabetes, but more studies of various kinds will be needed before we can say anything definitive,” says researcher and clinical nutritionist Hilde Brekke from the Sahlgrenska Academy.
Blood samples from almost 6,000 five year-olds were analyzed in the study. In type 1 diabetes, certain cells in the pancreas gradually get worse at producing insulin, leading to insulin deficiency. Children at risk of developing type 1 diabetes have antibodies in their blood which attack these insulin-producing cells.
Of the 6,000 children tested, three per cent had either elevated levels of these antibodies or fully developed type 1 diabetes at the age of five. These risk markers were up to twice as common in children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables during pregnancy. The risk was lowest among children whose mothers stated that they ate vegetables every day.
“We cannot say with certainty on the basis of this study that it’s the vegetables themselves that have this protective effect, but other factors related to vegetable intake, such as the mother’s standard of education, do not seem to explain the link,” says Brekke. “Nor can this protection be explained by other measured dietary factors or other known risk factors.”.
The term “Vegetables “in this study included all vegetables except for root vegetables.
Type 1 Diabetes
Around 50,000 Swedes have type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease which normally emerges before the age of 35. It is not yet known what causes type 1 diabetes, but some of the factors believed to play a role are:
- various immunological mechanisms,
- environmental toxins and
- genetic variations.
Type 1 diabetes is found throughout the world but is most common in Finland and Sweden.
You must log in to post a comment. | <urn:uuid:dbf73727-49cd-468f-9d44-7788ede03621> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://nutritionnews.com/vegetables-can-protect-unborn-against-diabetes/health | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648465.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20230602072202-20230602102202-00390.warc.gz | en | 0.959335 | 557 | 3.3125 | 3 |
16th June 2012
Link reblogged from It's Okay To Be Smart with 105 notes
What is the definition of “consciousness”?
Adrian Owen still gets animated when he talks about patient 23. The patient was only 24 years old when his life was devastated by a car accident. Alive but unresponsive, he had been languishing in what neurologists refer to as a vegetative state for five years, when Owen, a neuro-scientist then at the University of Cambridge, UK, and his colleagues at the University of Liège in Belgium, put him into a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine and started asking him questions.
Incredibly, he provided answers.
A challenging look at the definition of consciousness in those confined to a vegetative state. fMRI studies, for all their shortcomings, have recently challenged long-held notions about brain activity in otherwise unresponsive patients, but what does that mean about their “consciousness”? At what threshold does brain activity become “life”?
There’s lots of controversy about how valid Owen’s studies are, but the story of Patient 23 will certainly make you think twice. A wonderful read. | <urn:uuid:60308a01-8302-44e4-8e76-da50d9a483b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bweester.tumblr.com/post/25206839648/adrian-owen-the-mind-reader | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703326861/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112206-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974121 | 250 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Fish oil is an excellent source of omega-3s, which is good for the heart and the brain. However, getting your omega-3s from fish is healthier. If you don’t eat fish, fish oil supplements are a good alternative.
Fish oil is one of the most commonly consumed dietary supplements.
It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are very important for your health.
If you don’t eat a lot of oily fish, taking a fish oil supplement could help you get enough omega-3 fatty acids.
Here are 12 health benefits of fish oil.
Fish oil is the fat or oil that’s extracted from fish tissue.
It usually comes from oily fish such as herring, tuna, anchovies, and mackerel. However. it’s also sometimes produced from the livers of other fish, as is the case with cod liver oil.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating 1–2 portions of fish per week. This is because the omega-3 fatty acids in fish provide many health benefits, including protection against a number of diseases.
However, if you don’t eat 1–2 servings of fish per week, fish oil supplements can help you get enough omega-3s.
Around 30% of fish oil is made up of omega-3s, while the remaining 70% is made up of other fats. What’s more, fish oil usually contains some vitamin A and D.
It’s important to note that the types of omega-3s found in fish oil have greater health benefits than the omega-3s found in some plant sources.
The main types of omega-3s in fish oil are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the type found in plant sources is mainly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
It’s also important to get enough omega-3s because the Western diet has replaced a lot of omega-3s with other fats, such as omega-6s. This distorted ratio of fatty acids may contribute to numerous diseases (
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide (
Multiple risk factors for heart disease appear to be reduced by the consumption of fish or fish oil. The benefits of fish oil for heart health include:
- Improved cholesterol levels. It can increase levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and may also lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol (
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).
- Decreased triglycerides. It can lower triglycerides by 15–30% (
12, 16, 18).
- Reduced blood pressure. Even in small doses, it helps reduce blood pressure in people with elevated levels (
19, 20, 21).
- Plaque prevention. It may prevent the plaques that can cause arteries to harden, as well as make arterial plaques more stable and safer in those who already have them (
22, 23, 24).
Although fish oil supplements can improve many of the risk factors for heart disease, there is no clear evidence that they can prevent heart attacks or strokes (
Fish oil supplements may reduce some of the risk factors associated with heart disease. However, there is no clear evidence that they can prevent heart attacks or strokes.
Interestingly, research suggests that omega-3s can prevent the onset or improve the symptoms of some mental health conditions. For example, it can reduce the chances of psychotic disorders in those who are at risk (
In addition, supplementing with fish oil in high doses may reduce some symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, though there is a lack of consistent data available. More study is needed in this area (
Fish oil supplements may improve the symptoms of certain mental health conditions. This effect may be a result of increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake.
However, this positive effect was not found for dry eye disease in particular (35).
Furthermore, eye health begins to decline in old age, which can lead to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Eating fish is linked to a reduced risk of AMD, but the results from fish oil supplements are less convincing (
One older study found that consuming a high dose of fish oil for 19 weeks improved vision in people with AMD. However, this was a very small study (38).
Two larger studies in 2013 examined the combined effect of omega-3s and other nutrients on AMD. One study showed a positive effect, while the other found no effect. Therefore, the results are unclear (
Eating fish may help prevent eye diseases. However, it’s unclear whether fish oil supplements have this same effect.
Inflammation is your immune system’s way of fighting infection and treating injuries.
Reducing inflammation can help treat symptoms of these diseases.
Because fish oil has anti-inflammatory properties, it may help treat conditions involving chronic inflammation (
For example, increased weight or stress can sometimes contribute to higher levels of inflammation.
In two older studies — one in people with obesity and one in people experiencing stress — fish oil was found to reduce the production and gene expression of inflammatory molecules called cytokines (
While inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is also triggered by inflammation, there is no clear evidence to suggest that fish oil improves its symptoms (
Fish oil has strong anti-inflammatory effects and can help reduce symptoms of inflammatory diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and it contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids (
Skin health can decline throughout your life, especially during old age or after too much sun exposure.
Your skin can become damaged by aging or too much sun exposure. Fish oil supplements may help maintain healthy skin.
Omega-3s are essential for early growth and development (
Therefore, it’s important to get enough omega-3s during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Omega-3 fatty acids are vital for an infant’s early growth and development. Fish oil supplements in pregnant people or infants may improve hand-eye coordination, although their effect on learning and IQ is unclear.
Your liver processes most of the fat in your body and can play a role in weight gain.
Fish oil supplements can improve liver function and inflammation, which may help reduce symptoms of NAFLD and the amount of fat in your liver (
Liver disease is common in people with obesity. Fish oil supplements may help reduce fat in the liver and symptoms of NAFLD.
Depression is expected to become the second-largest cause of illness by 2030 (
Fish oil supplements — especially those rich in EPA — may help improve symptoms of depression.
A number of neurodevelopmental conditions in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), involve hyperactivity and inattention.
Given that omega-3s make up a significant proportion of the brain, getting enough of them may be important for preventing these conditions in early life (64).
Neurodevelopmental conditions in children can affect their learning and development. Fish oil supplements have been shown to help reduce hyperactivity, inattention, and other related behaviors.
As you age, your brain function slows down and your risk of Alzheimer’s disease increases.
People who eat more fish have slower age-related mental decline. However, it’s unclear whether fish oil supplements can prevent or improve mental decline in older adults.
Asthma, which can cause swelling in the lungs and shortness of breath, is becoming much more common in infants.
A number of studies show that fish oil may reduce asthma symptoms, especially in early life (74).
However, not all studies have found similar results (75).
In an older review in nearly 100,000 people, a mother’s fish or omega-3 intake was found to reduce the risk of asthma in children by 24–29% (
A higher intake of fish and fish oil during pregnancy may reduce the risk of asthma and allergies in children.
During old age, bones can begin to lose their essential minerals, becoming more likely to break. This can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
People with higher omega-3 intakes and blood levels may have better bone mineral density (BMD) (
In one study, researchers found that omega-3 supplementation increased BMD in women with no symptoms or bone pain, but it did not appear to do so in women with osteoporosis. More research is needed (
A number of small, older studies suggest that fish oil supplements reduce markers of bone breakdown, which may prevent bone disease (
Higher omega-3 intake is associated with higher bone density, which could help prevent bone disease. However, it’s unclear whether fish oil supplements are beneficial.
If you do not eat 1–2 portions of oily fish per week, you may want to consider taking a fish oil supplement (
Below is a list of things to consider when taking a fish oil supplement:
EPA and DHA dosage recommendations vary according to your age and health.
For most adults, WHO recommends a daily intake of 1.1–1.6 grams (1,100–1,600 mg) of omega-3 fatty acids. However, it may be necessary to increase the dosage if you are pregnant, nursing, or at risk of heart disease (
Fish oil supplements come in a number of forms, including ethyl esters, triglycerides, reformed triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids.
Your body doesn’t absorb ethyl esters as well as other forms, so try to choose a fish oil supplement that comes in one of the other listed forms (85).
Many supplements contain up to 1,000 mg of fish oil per serving but only 300 mg of EPA and DHA.
Read the label and choose a supplement that contains at least 500 mg of EPA and DHA per 1,000 mg of fish oil.
Some fish oil supplements may not contain the ingredients that they say they do (
To avoid these products, choose a supplement that is third-party tested or has a seal of purity from the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) (87).
Omega-3 fatty acids are prone to oxidation, which makes them go rancid.
To avoid this, you can choose a supplement that contains an antioxidant, such as vitamin E. Also, keep your supplements away from light — ideally in the refrigerator.
Don’t use a fish oil supplement that has a rancid smell or is out of date.
Choose a fish oil supplement that has a sustainability certification, such as from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or the Environmental Defense Fund.
The production of fish oil from anchovies and similar small fish is more sustainable than that from large fish.
Other dietary fats can improve your absorption of omega-3 fatty acids (
Therefore, it’s best to take your fish oil supplement with a meal that contains fat.
When reading fish oil labels, be sure to choose a supplement that has a high concentration of EPA and DHA and has purity and sustainability certifications.
Omega-3s contribute to typical brain and eye development. They fight inflammation and may help prevent heart disease and a decline in brain function.
Because fish oil contains a lot of omega-3s, people who are at risk of these health conditions can benefit from taking it.
In fact, fish is as effective as fish oil at preventing many diseases — if not more so.
That said, fish oil supplements are a good alternative if you don’t eat fish. | <urn:uuid:5e00fbaa-b23b-476b-9120-fee44f27bf39> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-fish-oil?utm_source=ReadNext | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506480.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20230923062631-20230923092631-00849.warc.gz | en | 0.952076 | 2,475 | 2.8125 | 3 |
[recalled by Lynn C. Rees]
January 8, 1815, 200 years ago today, the British Empire was sentenced to oblivion.
As Andrew Jackson killed the infernal Bank of the United States, a frustrated Congressman, opposed to Jackson, jotted down his thoughts. The first jot was draft of a resolution of impeachment against Jackson, throwing him under the BUS. The second jot characterized an incident from Jackson’s youth as a politically expedient fiction.
The paper, left accidentally on the floor of the House, fell into the hands of the editor of the Globe, who described it to General Jackson. On this occasion the General was betrayed, by his ungovernable wrath, into the use of language that had seldom fallen from his lips since the death of his wife. “The d—ed, infernal scoundrel!” roared the President. “Put your finger here, Mr. Blair,” he added, pointing to the long dent in his head…
Mr. Blair found that the wound had been far more serious than was supposed. He could lay a whole finger in the scar.
Jackson earned the wound at age thirteen.
The activity and zeal of the Waxhaw whigs coming to the ears of Lord Rawdon, whom Cornwallis had left in command, he dispatched a small body of dragoons to aid the tories of that infected neighborhood. The Waxhaw people hearing of the approach of this hostile force, resolved upon resisting it in open fight and named the Waxhaw meeting house as the rendezvous. Forty whigs assembled on the appointed day, mounted and armed; and among them were Robert and Andrew Jackson. In the grove about the old church, these forty were waiting for the arrival—hourly expected—of another company of whigs from a neighboring settlement. The British officer in command of the dragoons, apprised of the rendezvous by a tory of the neighborhood, determined to surprise the patriot party before the two companies had united. Before coming in sight of the church, he placed a body of tories, wearing the dress of the country, far in advance of his soldiers, and so marched upon the devoted band. The Waxhaw party saw a company of armed men approaching, but concluding them to be their expected friends, made no preparations for defense. Too late the error was discovered. Eleven of the forty were taken prisoners, and the rest sought safety in flight, fiercely pursued by the dragoons. The brothers…took refuge in a thicket, in which they passed a hungry and anxious night.
The next morning the pangs of hunger compelled them to leave their safe retreat and go in quest of food. The nearest house was that of [their cousin, United States Army] Lieutenant [Thomas] Crawford. Leaving their horses and arms in the thicket, the lads crept toward the house, which they reached in safety. Meanwhile, a tory traitor of the neighborhood had scented out their lurking place, found their horses and weapons, and set a party of dragoons upon their track. Before the family had a suspicion of danger, the house was surrounded, the doors were secured, and the boys were prisoners.
A scene ensued which left an impression upon the mind of one of the boys which time never effaced…the dragoons, brutalized by this mean partisan warfare, began to destroy with wild riot and noise the contents of the house. Crockery, glass, and furniture were dashed to pieces; beds emptied; the clothing of the family torn to rags…While this destruction was going on, the officer in command of the party ordered Andrew to clean his high jackboots, which were well splashed and crusted with mud. The boy replied, not angrily, though with a certain firmness and decision, in something like these words:
“Sir. I am a prisoner of war, and claim to be treated as such.”
The officer glared at him like a wild beast, and aimed a desperate blow at the boy’s head with his sword. Andrew broke the force of the blow with his left hand, and thus received two wounds—one deep gash on his head, and another on his hand, the marks of both of which he carried to his grave. The officer, after achieving this gallant feat, turned to Robert Jackson, and ordered him to clean the boots. Robert also refused. The valiant Briton struck the young man so violent a sword-blow upon the head as to prostrate and disable him
Jackson’s oldest brother Hugh had died a year earlier while fighting in the Battle of Stono Ferry. After their capture, Jackson and his older brother Robert caught smallpox. Their mother got them released but Robert died after only a few days. Jackson’s mother volunteered to nurse captured American soldiers imprisoned by the British in prison ships. She died of the cholera and was buried in an unmarked grave. At age 14, Jackson was an orphan.
Jackson was a champion hater. He was good at hating and he knew it. He was remorseless in what he chose to hate. When revelations of past transgressions drove his beloved wife to her death (as Jackson saw it), he swore, “May God Almighty forgive her murderers. I never can.” He mourned at the end of his presidency that, he’d “been unable to shoot Henry Clay or to hang John C. Calhoun.” But he would forgive who he would forgive. Senator Thomas Hart “”I never quarrel, sir, but I do fight, sir, and when I fight, sir, a funeral follows, sir.” Benton (D-MO), who’d seriously wounded Jackson in an 1813 street brawl, later became a close political ally. Hart summed up Jackson’s bright side: “Yes, sir, I knew him, sir; General Jackson was a very great man, sir. I shot him, sir. Afterward he was of great use to me, sir, in my battle with the United States Bank.” Equally, Hart summed up the fate of those who Jackson chose to hate: “When Andrew Jackson starts talking about hanging, men begin looking for ropes.”
Understand this: Jackson hated the British. Hated. When he received word that the British had landed before New Orleans 34 years later, whatever else happened, Jackson’s thirsting heart must have leapt in his chest (carefully, for there was a bullet lodged next to it).
Vengeance was his. He would repay. “By the Eternal!”, Jackson thundered, “They shall not sleep on our soil.”
New Orleans was the gateway of the North American continent. 15 years before, the importance of the City Under the Sea drove even President Thomas Jefferson, whose hatred of Britain, though carefully veiled behind multiple layers of hypocrisy, challenged even Jackson’s, to write to his minister to France:
There is on the globe one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans, through which the produce of three-eighths of our territory must pass to market, and from its fertility it will ere long yield more than half of our whole produce and contain more than half our inhabitants. France placing herself in that door assumes to us the attitude of defiance. Spain might have retained it quietly for years. Her pacific dispositions, her feeble state, would induce her to increase our facilities there, so that her possession of the place would be hardly felt by us, and it would not perhaps be very long before some circumstance might arise which might make the cession of it to us the price of something of more worth to her. Not so can it ever be in the hands of France. The impetuosity of her temper, the energy and restlessness of her character, placed in a point of eternal friction with us, and our character, which though quiet, and loving peace and the pursuit of wealth, is high-minded, despising wealth in competition with insult or injury, enterprising and energetic as any nation on earth, these circumstances render it impossible that France and the U.S. can continue long friends when they meet in so irritable a position. They as well as we must be blind if they do not see this; and we must be very improvident if we do not begin to make arrangements on that hypothesis. The day that France takes possession of N[ew] Orleans fixes the sentence which is to restrain her forever within her low water mark. It seals the union of two nations who in conjunction can maintain exclusive possession of the ocean. From that moment we must marry ourselves to the British fleet and nation. We must turn all our attentions to a maritime force, for which our resources place us on very high grounds: and having formed and cemented together a power which may render reinforcement of her settlements here impossible to France, make the first cannon, which shall be fired in Europe the signal for tearing up any settlement she may have made, and for holding the two continents of America in sequestration for the common purposes of the united British and American nations.
Circumstances and mosquitoes soon made Buonaparte’s designs for the Americas an unaffordable luxury. The sale of Louisiana to the United States the following year spared Jefferson from having to resort to something as distasteful as a British-American alliance. Yet that nation of shopkeepers had a heart always filled with avarice for shiny things that belonged to others. John Bull cast his covetous eyes on New Orleans and decided to take it. Britain wanted to deny freedom access to sea.
As Buonaparte had been blown apart in 1814, Britain decided to double down on the pesky Americans and their contemptible little war to win the freedom of the seas by holding Canada and its trees, vital to keep Britain’s navy afloat, hostage. So it was that Edward Pakenham, brother-in-law of noted British general Arthur Wellesley, found himself at the head of a British army, many of them veterans of Britain’s war against Buonaparte in Portugal and Spain, facing an American fortification five miles south of New Orleans.
Opposing them was the fury of Andrew Jackson and a core part of America’s future ethos. Though the British outnumbered the Americans numerically, Jackson’s rage and destiny outnumbered the British spiritually. Here, in its primeval form, was one of the storied American tropes: Slobs vs Snobs:
They are well groomed, clean, stylishly dressed, and treat those around as inferior, be it at a Renaissance court or a slum. They are scruffy, dirty, dressed entirely from the used clothes discount pile, and act like boorish rabble.
They will usually be in close proximity, at least in the same neighborhood, city, or space sector. And of course they fight. The scale of the conflict can be any size, be it a clique vs. clique social power struggle in a school, a street brawl between rival gangs, or two species or even Planet of Hats at war. When cranked Up to Eleven, it can cross into armed revolution, or either Kill the Poor or Eat the Rich.
Beyond the superficial dichotomy this conflict is one of lifestyle and worldview. The Snobs are epicurean, refined, and educated — but classist and vain, while Slobs are honest, revelrous and dionysian — but violent and dangerous. As a narrative device, Slobs Versus Snobs is notable in that it rarely presents both sides equally. More often than not, the Slobs are presented in a far more sympathetic light than the Snobs.On the Sliding Scale of Shiny Versus Gritty, Snobs would be shiny and Slobs would be gritty.
Jackson’s Vengeance Posse was the original Ragtag Bunch of Misfits:
This mission is important. The fate of the battle, nay, the war, nay, the entire world rests on the outcome. Who has the capability to stick it out, to give the good guys the victory they desperately need? This calls for a special team. The group of experienced, highly skilled, professional, team-oriented experts? Not them. The assorted group of ex-con lowlife inexperienced jerk–es who are trying to off their commander when they aren’t going at each other? Yeah, them.
Jackson’s force of 4,732 was made up of “968 US Army regulars, 58 US Marines, 106 seamen, 1,060 Louisiana Militia and volunteers (including 462 free people of color), 1,352 Tennessee Militia, 986 Kentucky Militia, 150 Mississippi Militia, and 52 Choctaw warriors”.
Preparation is un-American. Jackson’s force was thrown together at the last millisecond. It was made up of frontiersmen, pirates, civilians, and random passersby. Some were Anglos, some were French, some were black, some were Indians. Somehow they were going to hold off a veteran army led by veteran officers (or their relatives). It should have been a walkover. Instead, the Americans were treated to a parade of military ineptitude that rivals the comical defeat of a “legion” of the Galactic Empire’s “best troops” by a Wookie and some spear-wielding teddy bears on the Moon of Endor 4 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Jackson himself might have described the American fortifications thus:
It is impossible to conceive a situation more eligible for defence than the one they had chosen and the skill which they manifested in their breastwork was really astonishing. It extended across the point in such a direction as that a force approaching would be exposed to a double fire, while they lay entirely safe behind it. It would have been impossible to have raked it with cannon to any advantage even if we had had possession of one extremity.
Jackson did once describe an enemy fortification thus. But it was the Red Sticks’ fort at Horsehoe Bend he was describing and the British were on their way to being the stooge in another Andrew Jackson special: uncertain and tense beginning of a battle followed by walkover and then massacre of the enemy. The Red Sticks started well but eventually Jackson’s forces, attacking instead of defending a line, overwhelmed the Red Sticks. The Red Sticks lost 857 killed and 206 wounded out of a force of about 1,000 warriors. For the British, it wouldn’t quite be Flanders Fields but the shade of Passchendaele overshadowed the battlefield. Prophecy soaked the mud and bogs of the Dead Marshes of Louisiana.
The British attempted a frontal assault on the American fortifications. Scaling ladders were misplaced. Fascines were left behind. Men got stuck crossing canals or bogged down in the swampy ground. Formations became confused. Veteran soldiers milled around like clueless n00bs. American regulars joined with the pirates to man the artillery and pour grapeshot into confused masses of redcoats. British officers, from Pakenham down, were shot and killed by American grapeshot and marksmen as they tried to bring order out of black comedy. While other men stood behind the breastwork and loaded their rifles, American riflemen would aim, fire, and hand the empty rifle behind them in exchange for a loaded rifle, achieving rapid fire. The few British solders who made it on top of the American breastworks were killed easily.
Wikipedia summarizes what Jackson and his ragtag bunch of misfits saw as the smoke cleared and the British limped away:
At the end of the day, the British had 2,042 casualties: 291 killed (including Generals Pakenham and Gibbs), 1,267 wounded (including General Keane) and 484 captured or missing. The Americans had 71 casualties: 13 dead; 39 wounded, and 19 missing.
As Jackson surveyed the battlefield, even his 13 year old self might have been satisfied with driving the English back into the sea with their forked tongues and their tails between their legs. As James Parton, an early biographer of Jackson wrote later:
Those who were intimately acquainted with Andrew Jackson, and they alone, can know something of the feelings of the youth while the events of this morning were transpiring; what paroxysms of contemptuous rage shook his slender frame when he saw his cousin’s wife insulted, her house profaned, his brother gashed, himself as powerless to avenge as to protect. “I’ll warrant Andy thought of it at New Orleans.“, said an aged relative of all the parties to me in an old farm house not far from the scene of [that] morning’s dastardly work. | <urn:uuid:468c4ce0-2004-436a-bc21-8feae9343be3> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://zenpundit.com/?cat=282 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370520039.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20200404042338-20200404072338-00009.warc.gz | en | 0.976552 | 3,510 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Location of Cayman Islands
World Factbook as of Novembwer 2014: "With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 93,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2008, including almost 300 banks, 800 insurers, and 10,000 mutual funds. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.9 million in 2008, with about half from the US. Nearly 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy a standard of living comparable to that of Switzerland."
BBC News: "One of the world's largest financial centres and a well-known tax haven, this British overseas territory in the Caribbean has more registered businesses than it has people."
Per capita GDP
The island balances its budget.
Crime has been described as "almost non-existent," attributed to low unemployment and a high standard of living.
One website, with an interest in attracting tourists, states that tourists find no solicitation, rude or pushy street vendors, or beggars.
The surrounding water is described as crystal clear and the beaches "powdery white.
Wikipedia: "More hurricane or tropical systems have affected the Cayman Islands than any other region in the Atlantic basin."
Infant mortality (deaths before the age of one year per 1,000 live births)
Average life expectancy at birth
2011: 80.68 years
2007: 80.20 years
July 2011: 51,385
2011: 12.24 per 1,000 population per year.
2005: 169 persons per square kilometer. (2005)
Net migration rate
2011: More people arriving than leaving. A net gain of 15.72 per 1,000 population, down from 18.25 in 2005.
Mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%
Three islands south of Cuba: Grand Cayman, about 22 miles long and 5 miles wide, and two other islands, 9 and 12 miles long and about two miles wide.
Air temperatures: from November to April temperatures during the day range from 72 to 86 degrees, at night from 64 to 72; from May to October, 85 to 90 degrees during the day, 73 to 85 at night.
Capital: George Town
Chief of State: Elizabeth II (queen, House of Windsor) since 6 February 1952.
Unicameral parliament with 20 members, 18 of which are popularly elected.
Capital: George Town.
1962: Federation of the West Indies dissolves. Jamaica declares independence. Caymans stay under British rule.
1972: A new constitution provides greater autonomy.
The World Factbook
Copyright © 2009-2013 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:af7b77dc-de3a-4662-9174-3017acac658f> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://www.fsmitha.com/world/cayman.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934808935.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20171124195442-20171124215442-00207.warc.gz | en | 0.929082 | 615 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Baal was a major northwest Semitic god, perhaps head of the pantheon of the Biblical Philistines and father to the god Dagon. A mystery surrounding the term Baal was that it was also a word that meant “Lord” and applied to several different gods. Very little is known about the worship of Baal, though this model is based on the temple in Palmyra, in modern Syria. The remains of the temple dedicated to Baal Shamin, the Semitic deity which resembles Bel is located to the northeast of the main Tetrapylon. It was first built in 17 AD but was further built and reconstructed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
Get this Model Now
Temple of Baal-Shamin 3D Gallery | <urn:uuid:07dbda2f-f86c-4e9b-8c8e-791810a7505d> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://meshbox.org/2016/07/16/ancient-syrian-temple-of-baal-3d-model-brings-the-ancient-world-to-life/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818688940.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170922112142-20170922132142-00634.warc.gz | en | 0.989909 | 151 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Geological conditions suggesting possible reserves of a next-generation energy source called methane hydrate were found at about 225 locations in the Sea of Japan off Niigata and Ishikawa prefectures, according to a government survey.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to conduct test drilling at those locations in fiscal 2014 to extract samples. Methane hydrate, comprised of methane gas and water, is believed to exist in a wide area of seabed surrounding Japan.
Japan succeeded in extracting natural gas from methane hydrate in the seabed in the Pacific Ocean off Aichi Prefecture in March, but has lagged in tapping the resource in the Sea of Japan.
METI started its full-fledged study in the Sea of Japan in June, with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and other bodies conducting the actual research.
The research, including sonic surveying, covered about 8,260 sq. km of seafloor off Jyoetsu, Niigata Prefecture, and 5,950 sq. km of seabed off the Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture.
The ministry will continue research for about three years to assess the amount of reserves in the Sea of Japan. It will check the seabed off Akita, Yamagata and Shimane in fiscal 2014 and off Hokkaido, Akita and Yamagata in fiscal 2015. | <urn:uuid:bcd0b149-78c5-477c-8412-dc665ea7e14b> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/28/business/methane-hydrate-evidence-found/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818686465.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20170920052220-20170920072220-00028.warc.gz | en | 0.92957 | 285 | 2.6875 | 3 |
6TH March 2018 – A strong Atlantic low-pressure system will continue to generate high sea swells and very rough seas along the coastal areas today and tonight. For that reason, all warnings will remain in place until further evaluation of marine conditions.
In addition, low moisture levels will also restrict shower activity over and around the islands.
Waves and surf seas between 12 to 18 feet with breaking waves of 18 to 25 feet and higher at times are possible.
Loss of life – strong currents that can carry even the strongest swimmers out to sea; injuries to beachgoers; beach erosion; sea water splashing onto low lying coastal roads; beach closures; localized disruptions to marine recreation and businesses; financial losses; damage to coral reefs and disruptions to potable water from desalination. High surfs can knock spectators off exposed rocks and jetties. Breaking waves may occasionally impact harbours making navigating the Harbour channel dangerous.
A high surf warning means that high surf will affect beaches in the warning area, producing beach erosion and especially dangerous swimming conditions. Beachgoers should avoid the waters, mainly on the northern sides of the islands.
A Coastal Flood Warning means that flooding is occurring or imminent. Coastal residents in the warned area should be alert for rising water…and take appropriate action to protect life
A small craft advisory means that wind speeds of 21 to 33 knots and/or seas of 7 feet or greater are expected to produce hazardous conditions to small crafts. Inexperienced mariners especially those operating smaller vessels should avoid navigating in these conditions.
Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, which occur most often at low spots or breaks in the sandbar and near structures such as groins such as jetties and piers. No one should enter the surf due to strong currents.
Persons should try to avoid impassable roads due to salt water intrusion. Beach erosion and structural damage is possible due to waves breaking further inland.
Please continue to monitor local media stations, DDM’s website at bviddm.com) and Facebook at BVIDDM for regular updates.
Disclaimer: The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) is not an official Meteorological Office. The Information disseminated by the Department is gathered from a number of professional sources used or contracted by the DDM to provide such information. This information is to be used as a guide by anyone who has interest in local weather conditions. By no means can the DDM or the BVI Government be held accountable by anyone who uses this information appropriately for legal evidence or in justification of any decision which may result in the loss of finances, property or life. | <urn:uuid:64b61211-8dfb-475d-a888-ad6d96d3973e> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.bviddm.com/rough-seas-continue-to-affect-the-bviwarnings-still-place/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224654012.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607175304-20230607205304-00030.warc.gz | en | 0.936904 | 567 | 2.875 | 3 |
- 2 min read
India to replace coal fired power plants with renewables: R K Singh
India is the world's second largest coal consumer after China, and the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Coal-fired plants currently account for over half its nearly 373 gigawatt (GW) power generating capacity
India is the world's second largest coal consumer after China, and the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Coal-fired plants currently account for over half its nearly 373 gigawatt (GW) power generating capacity.
"Many of those plants are getting retired," Singh said at an industry event. "Some plants are already retired, and about 29 more plants are going to retire, and all that space will be occupied by renewable energy."
India, which aims to meet 40% of its energy requirement from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, is targeting 175 GW of renewable-based installed power capacity by 2022.
It currently relies on cheaper imports, mainly from China, to meet the bulk of its demand for solar cells and modules.
India's current annual installed and functional manufacturing capacity of solar modules is around 10 GW while that of solar cells is only around 2.5 GW, the minister said.
"We plan to raise this capacity to around 25 GW per annum for solar cells and modules in another two years' time," he said.
To protect local industry from cheaper imports, India has extended Safeguard Duty on imports of solar cells and modules by another year, and is planning an import tax on solar cells and modules.
The minister said it also wants to increase the level of import duty on solar inverters, which are connected to solar panels to convert the direct-current power into usable electricity.
India, which is hoping to become self-reliant to boost its sagging economy, also wants to build coastal renewable energy equipment manufacturing hubs with the participation of private companies.
Singh said India's power demand in last month was higher than a year earlier, indicating that industry activity is rising. | <urn:uuid:d163774c-31ed-41b7-a758-4827fea0f3eb> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/india-to-replace-coal-fired-power-plants-with-renewables-r-k-singh/78525753 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510810.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20231001073649-20231001103649-00326.warc.gz | en | 0.958548 | 419 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Fires and smoke across Alaska
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Extreme fire behavior in Alaska continued across the turning of the calendar from June to July 2004. Yellowish-gray smoke hung over much of the state, while fires (locations outlined in red) continued to grow across the landscape. Many of these blazes have been burning since mid-June, triggered by a few days of record-breaking lightning. Hot, dry, and windy conditions since then have pushed fire behavior to extreme levels at many locations. The Boundary Fire, north of Fairbanks, was spreading at a rate of 3 miles an hour on July 1, and at times firefighters reported that flame lengths were as long as 30 feet. This image was captured on July 1 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. | <urn:uuid:b5bd21d0-ca1b-4f42-b526-75d215dba2f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=71470 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699036375/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101036-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975958 | 183 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Tray hydraulics is very complicated and involves balancing many competing factors that affect both capacity and flexibility. However, plants often can gain more column capacity by lengthening tray spacing or sloping tray downcomers.
Greater tray spacing increases the distance (and time) available for liquid droplets to fall out of the vapor back into the liquid on the tray. This often suits trays operating in the spray regime, which implies normal-to-low liquid loads, low vapor density and high liquid density.
Sloping the tray downcomers opens up bubbling area on the tray deck. The extra area allows for more valves or holes, decreasing vapor velocity through the tray. Lower vapor velocities reduce tray pressure drop and spray formation if trays are operating in the spray regime.
One plant decided to increase the capacity of its decade-old main fractionator. The column ran at just above atmospheric pressure; vapor densities were low and liquid densities were high. Operation was in the spray regime even though liquid rates were extremely high.
The tower's bottom section was 363.5 in. in diameter in heat transfer service. Liquid was drawn from the tower bottom, cooled and then returned eight trays up as a pump-around heat-removal stream. The cold liquid condensed heavy ends from the feed vapor that entered under tray one. Extremely high liquid rates were required to get sufficient heat removal against medium pressure steam generation used as the pumparound cooling heat sink.
The plant made a series of modifications (Figure 1 shows the major ones) to raise capacity of the fractionator's bottom section. These included:
1. Replacing the original eight trays on 36-in. spacing with six trays — with 60-in. spacing between tray one and tray two and 48-in. spacing between the other trays — while retaining the existing 36-in. spacing to the tray in the next section up;
2. Sloping the downcomers to increase the area available for active panels on the trays below;
3. Using new active panels to take advantage of the downcomer sloping;
4. Cutting off tray outlet weirs; and
5. Installing shaped downcomer lips (not shown) to decrease tray pressure drop.
The changes raised tower capacity by 40%. Plant performance tests confirmed the increase.
In the 16 years since making those modifications, many feed and product quality changes had occurred, creating new bottlenecks. So, the plant launched a second revamp project.
The first step was to re-run tests on major plant constraints. To everyone's surprise, the test of fractionator indicated it was running at only 110% of original design capacity rather than the previously demonstrated 140%. Engineers reviewed plant information in detail but couldn't find any reasons for the reduced capacity.
A scan of the column didn't provide any insights. In fact, the scan results were so contradictory they were useless. (Further investigation showed the execution of the scan was badly botched.)
The only benefit from the scan was that it forced plant personnel to re-check every detail yet again. This led to a significant discovery. A purchase order for replacement tray panels, which had been placed after the first revamp, specified that panels conform to the original drawings for the tower internals. The bubble area added in the revamp had been replaced by solid tray panels.
The return to the original tray panels had undone most of the capacity increase. Feed composition changes had hidden the effect and an extended period of soft market demand had eliminated any immediate need for the lost capacity. When the market rebounded, enough time had elapsed that the capacity drop went unnoticed.
Putting back correct tray panels markedly improved operation.
Accurate equipment records can provide major help in identifying many plant problems. It's our job both to create good records and to look at them in detail as needed.
Andrew Sloley is a Chemical Processing Contributing Editor. You can e-mail him at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:2eae73d4-5b47-44ec-b71d-1bcccc094849> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2010/034/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700795821/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103955-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96282 | 824 | 2.734375 | 3 |
4 Basic Physical Needs This includes the need for Food Drink Oxygen SleepWarmthSensory pleasureMaternal behaviourand Sexual Desire.If people are denied any of these needs, they may spend long periods of time looking for them.
5 #6. Safety and Security Needs Basic Physical Needs
6 Safety and Security Needs Once a persons basic needs have been met, their next concern is usually forsafety and security,freedom from pain,threat from physical attack andprotection from danger.
7 Safety and Security Needs Basic Physical NeedsLove and Social Needs#8. Love and Social needsSafety and Security Needs
8 Love and Social needs These include: a sense of belonging the need for social activitiesfriendships and the giving and receiving of love.
9 Love and emotional needs Esteem needs#10. Esteem needsLove and emotional needsSafety and Security NeedsBasic Physical Needs
10 Esteem needsThis includes the need to haveself respect (involves the desire to have strength, confidence, independence, freedom and achievement) andesteem of others (involves having prestige, status, attention, recognition, reputation and appreciation from other people).
11 Yes Self actualisation needs Self-esteem needs Love and emotional needsSafety and Security NeedsBasic Physical Needs
12 Self actualisation needs This is the development of and realisation of a persons full potential.all the other needs in the pyramid have to be achieved before a person can reach this stage.Yes
13 Final thought‘Health is complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity1946 World Health OrganisationCopy of Maslow's Pyramid of Needs .doc | <urn:uuid:ce042f1d-63fa-4839-8e77-ea92d2f4d03a> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://slideplayer.com/slide/798272/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655890105.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20200706042111-20200706072111-00296.warc.gz | en | 0.889645 | 338 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Some environments are inhospitable to most "normal" living creatures. However, these extreme environments are not necessarily lifeless. Certain types of organisms, known collectively as "extremophiles", have adapted to survive or even thrive in various types of extreme environments. Philia is the Greek word for "love", so extremophiles are organisms that "love" extreme environments.
Most, though not all, extremophiles are microbes. In the last few decades, scientists have discovered many types of organisms that can survive in difficult environments that were previously thought sterile. Extremophiles have been found in very hot and in very cold environments; in exceptionally dry deserts; in environments that are very acidic or alkaline or doused in other harsh chemicals; and even in places exposed to high levels of radiation. These discoveries have generated lots of interest in life in extreme environments in recent years.
Early in our planet's history, most environments on Earth were extreme by modern standards. Likewise, environments on alien worlds within our Solar System and beyond are often marginally habitable if at all. The study of extremophiles may shed light on the origins and early evolution of life on Earth. Likewise, our knowledge of extremophiles may help us gage the likelihood of life arising in various extreme environments on planets and moons in our Solar System and beyond. The relatively new science of astrobiology is concerned with the study of such organisms.
Scientists have special names for extremophiles that thrive in specific types of challenging environments. Thermophiles live in hot environments (60-80° C, or 140-176° F); hyperthermophiles live in really hot places (80-122° C, or 176-252° F). Acidophiles like acidic conditions, with a pH of 3 or lower. Halophiles live in salty environments, cryophiles (or psychrophiles) like the cold, and xerophiles thrive in very dry deserts. Some organisms live in environments that are extreme in multiple ways; certain microbes that dwell in acidic hot springs are thus both thermophiles and acidophiles.
Though not technically extremophiles, numerous larger organisms are also adapted to survive in environments that would be lethal to most creatures. Camels are famously capable of going for long periods without water in the deserts in which they live. Emperor penguins somehow manage to make it through bitter Antarctic winters. Extreme plants, such as the many species of cactus, cope with the heat and dryness of desert environments as well. Bizarre tube worms grow in the superheated and chemically exotic niches around deep sea hydrothermal vents. | <urn:uuid:70469995-948c-4737-b48b-5ab1b3b8bae9> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://windows2universe.org/earth/Life/extremophile.html&edu=high&lang=sp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593657131734.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20200712051058-20200712081058-00009.warc.gz | en | 0.942482 | 534 | 3.96875 | 4 |
"Pirates - Ship to Shore"
~ in the Horton Gallery
"Sleeping Giant: Images of the Edward L. Ryerson"
~ in the Reddin Bridge Room
The Building of the Sherwood Point Lighthouse in 1883 was intimately connected to the construction of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. Before the completion of the canal Sturgeon Bay was an important warm weather port, though it was relatively minor because it has a short season than Jacksonport and Baileys Harbor on Lake Michigan. Many years that found Green Bay locked in winter's icy grip, Lake Michigan waters were almost free of ice. After years of controversy, as it became apparent that the canal would be built and Sturgeon Bay would expand as a port, maritime interests began demanding additional aids to navigation in anticipation of greatly increased traffic in Sturgeon Bay.
On March 3, 1881, Congress appropriated $12,000 for the construction of a lighthouse to assist mariners entering Sturgeon Bay from Green Bay. In December 1881, the Lighthouse Board selected a site on Sherwood Point for the new lighthouse. While it was hoped the lighthouse would be built during 1882, construction was delayed because of problems securing clear title to the land. In May 1883, a Lighthouse Board crew of twenty men from Detroit landed building materials near the site and began clearing the land. After extensive blasting, the crew built a rock foundation for the dwelling and light tower. Masons then built a 25' x 37' two story brick dwelling with attached light tower. Sherwood point is unique in that it is the only Door County lighthouse built with red brick rather than limestone or cream colored brick.
Atop the tower, the crew assembled a 10-sided cast iron lantern. The height of the tower from base to top of the lantern was 35' and the focal plane of the lens was 61' above the water. After four and a half months of intense labor, the crew completed the station on September 28, 1883. The Lighthouse Board transferred keeper Henry Stanley from the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. On October 10, 1883, Stanley officially lighted the lamp to begin operations.
The Sherwood Point lantern displayed a fixed white light alternated with a flashing red light visible in clear weather for 15 miles. Unfortunately for Stanley, the light's complicated mechanism had a seemingly irreparable defect which periodically caused it to stop operating. In 1892, the original illuminating apparatus was discarded and entirely replaced with equipment from another lighthouse. The replacement lens was a fourth order Fresnel lens built in Paris, France. Also in 1892, a square wooden pyramidal fog signal was built in front of the light tower. It originally had a bell that was automatically struck every twelve seconds in foggy weather.
In the fall of 1884, Mrs. Stanley's niece, Miss Minnie Hesh of Brooklyn, New York, came to Sherwood Point for a short visit after the deaths of her parents. However, like many Door County visitors, Minnie Hesh decided to stay. Five years later, she married William Cochems the son of a prominent Sturgeon Bay businessman. In 1894, Cochems became acting assistant keeper and, upon Stanley's death October 13, 1895, the Lighthouse Board appointed Cochems keeper.
In 1898 Minnie was appointed assistant keeper, a post she held until her death August 17, 1928. She is memorialized by a small marker northeast of the lighthouse near the road. In 1933 William Cochems retired. Conrad Stram, the last civilian keeper at Sherwood Point replaced Cochems.
In 1941, after the Coast Guard had taken over the operation of lighthouses, Stram transferred to the Coast Guard. After Stram's retirement in 1945, Coast Guardsmen manned the light until the fall of 1983 when the light was automated. At that time, Sherwood Point was the last manned lighthouse on the Great Lakes. | <urn:uuid:6c3d5e12-9942-47e5-add4-8dd22f05f46a> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.dcmm.org/cana-island-lighthouse/door-county-lighthouses/sherwood-point/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1398223202457.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20140423032002-00596-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966103 | 796 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Definition of pirs
to ask, question, request, ask for, inquiry, query, search
From Avestan (Av.)
1) pares, peresanguha, pərəs "to ask, to question"
2) peresaiti, frasā "question, inquiry"
PIE root *prek-, pr̥k̑-, perk̑- "to ask, request, entreat, pray for",
Old French preier "to pray",
Latin precari "ask earnestly, beg, entreat",
Old Church Slavonic prositi,
Lithuanian prašyti "to ask, beg",
Old High German frahen,
Old English fricgan "to ask" a question.
Possible connection between price and Kurdish words of pirs "to ask" as well as frotin/frasā "to sell".
PIE *per- "to traffic in, to sell".
Updated on January 22, 2023 | <urn:uuid:43890a69-8a39-4f23-bca5-af08b033c72d> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://kurdayety.com/dictionary/pirs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296944606.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20230323003026-20230323033026-00402.warc.gz | en | 0.7045 | 237 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Negative forty is the temperature at which the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales correspond; that is, −40°F = −40°C. Just as ice melts at 32 degrees, just as 13 inches equals 33 centimeters, just as 666 divided by 212 Fahrenheit (boiling point of water) is equal to Pi 3.1415, the serendipitous line-up of Fahrenheit and Celsius at -40 perfectly coincides with Masonic/Mystery school numerological knowledge and the Bible.
There are 120 different variations of the number 40 in the Bible. Isaac and Esau were 40 years old when they took their wives. Noah endured 40 days and 40 nights of flood rains. Moses was with God for 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai receiving the 10 commandments. Then Moses led Israel out of Egypt at age 80 (2x40) and after 40 years of eating manna and wandering in the wilderness he died at age 120 (3x40). Goliath presented himself to Israel for 40 days. Several Israelite kings and leaders ruled for 40 years such as David, Solomon, Eli and Saul. 12 spies explored the Promised land for 40 days. Jesus fasted, prayed and was tempted by Satan for 40 days in the desert. Modern Christians observe Lent/fasting for 40 days before Easter. After the crucifixion/resurrection before His ascension into heaven, Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples.
“Adam enters Paradise when he is 40 years old; Eve follows 40 years later; during the Great Flood it rains for 40 days and 40 nights; Seth is carried away by angels when he is 40 and is not seen for 40 days; Moses is 40 when he goes to Midian and he stays for 40 years; Joseph is 40 years old when Jacob arrives in Egypt; Jesus goes into the wilderness for 40 days. The Bible is the word of God? No. It is written in the esoteric code of the mystery schools. The Arabian literature was also compiled by and for initiates of the mysteries and here you find the same codes. The Arbaindt (the forties) are stories which all relate to the number 40 and their calendar has 40 rainy and 40 windy days. Their laws constantly refer to 40.” -David Icke, “The Biggest Secret” (83)
Rabbi Akiva, the greatest expositor of the Oral Torah, began learning how to read Hebrew when he was 40 years old. A mikvah consists of 40 se'ah (approximately 200 gallons) of water. 40 lashes is one of the punishments given out by the Sanhedrin. In Hinduism, many popular religious prayers consist of forty shlokas or dohas (stanzas). The most common being the Hanuman Chalisa (chaalis is the Hindi term for 40). In Muslim cultures the dead are usually mourned for forty days. Ad-Dajjal roamed around the Earth in forty days. Jules Verne wrote "Around the World in 80 Days" (2x40). Khadijah was forty years old when she married Muhammad. Muhammad began to receive the word of God, the Quran, from the angel Gabriel when he was 40 years old, and within 4 years he converted a group of 40 followers. Some Russians believe that ghosts of the dead linger at the site of their death for forty days.
40 is a mystical number signifying some sort of trial/testing/transition period and spiritual growth. However, in the Bible it is always 40 days or 40 years, never 40 weeks. This lends credence to the conjecture that the 7-day week is a relatively modern Christian creation, and also points to this glaring void - 120 uses of 40 days/years, but never once use 40 weeks! Could this be because it is exactly 40 weeks (9 months) that a woman carries her developing baby in the womb before birth? Could it be the flood waters of the mother and Noah is the baby protected by an ark? Why was Moses in Egypt, Mises in Syria, Minos is Crete, Manou in India and all the precedents floated on a basket down a river, then later said to “part the Red Sea?” Why in the Bible are women said to be “unclean” for 40 days after the birth of a boy? Manna (translates “what is it?”) is what Moses ate for 40 years in the desert. Could the Bible be referring to Momma’s manna in the womb?
Buy The Atlantean Conspiracy Now | <urn:uuid:250a8f52-200d-4811-bcf2-318fa0a92ddd> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.atlanteanconspiracy.com/2008/12/numerology-40.html?showComment=1228934160000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1398223205137.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20140423032005-00621-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954928 | 941 | 2.96875 | 3 |
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